Saints Row: Salvation
by HeartWritingM
Summary: Set shortly after SR:TT. The Boss is cleaning out the remnants of Steelport's gangs, when she finds something unexpected, delaying her goal.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Saints Row. I only own the parts of Ljubica that are my own, and this story.

Quick Note: The Boss' name is pronounced 'LYOO-bee-stah.'

CHAPTER ONE

Ljubica used a delicate hand at the controls of her Saints-painted Vulture, purple with a white fleur-de-lis on the body and tail, swinging it around while firing a barrage of rockets down at the Deckers below. Cars exploded, and young men either dove for cover or were flung through the air to land in a crumpled, bloody heap.

"Winning never gets old!" she shouted, laughing, while Pierce opened up with the gunship's powerful cannon. "Get the fuck out of my city!"

Ljubica's voice was being broadcast over external speakers as well, her Slavic accent thickening as her enjoyment of the chaos below rose. Strands of hair, so black it seemed spun from the heart of darkness itself, hung in her face, having escaped the usual pony tail she wore to keep it out of her scarred, freckled face. She'd been pretty before the disfiguring, and some might even look past the damage to see the beauty she still had.

"Just like old times!" Pierce called back, then the Vulture's cannon fired again, it's thumping felt inside the cockpit, and a Decker Kayak exploded. They were so close that the large helicopter shuddered from the blast.

Ljubica grinned, and unleashed another round of rockets.

Then an alarm went off in the cockpit, shrill and earnest.

"Boss!" Pierce called, staring at his console. "Something has a lock on us!"

The Vulture heaved violently and spun out of control as an RPG slammed into it's tail boom. Ljubica struggled with the controls, but the once-mighty helicopter swung drunkenly through the air in ever-widening arcs. A distant part of her mind registered seeing a downed STAG transport, but her main thought process was to somehow land her crippled aircraft.

_And save Pierce,_ she thought desperately, and as the Vulture swung sickeningly to one side, she felt a twinge of shame that she might not be able to. _Come on you bag of shit,_ fly!

"Pierce!" she yelled over the shrieking alarms. "Hold on! We're going to be crashing!"

The Vulture slammed into the earth with all the grace of an ice skating tortoise, sliding sideways down a city street before slamming into a storefront. Wreckage was strewn all around them, but they weren't on fire at least.

Ljubica coughed, the acrid smell of burnt out electronics burning her nose. "Pierce?"

Her lieutenant, sounding shaken and slow, taking a few moments to respond. "Well, Boss, they say any landing you can walk away from..." He let the sentence trail off.

Ljubica smirked. "Let's get the fuck out of here. I'll call us a ride."

Pierce nodded, and climbed out of the cockpit, loafers faintly thumping as he landed on the sidewalk. He wore his usual pressed tan suit and slacks, purple dress shirt underneath and huge fleur-de-lis chain on top, but had lost the hat in the crash. Ljubica climbed down out of her seat, sturdy black boots thudding as she landed. She took a moment to retie the left one, it's purple laces having come undone. She wore her midriff-revealing leather Mamba motorcycle jacket and matching riding pants, mostly purple but with a triangular black panel across the chest and down each sleeve and leg, with thin white striping along where the purple met black. She had a crescent of stars tattooed around her left eye and cheek, and a matching tattoo, but opposite and larger, curled around to the right of her tummy and disappeared beneath her pants. Blood trickled from where an eyebrow ring used to be over her left eye, following the edge of one of her many, long-healed scars. A piece of white tape was pasted over the bridge of her small, but not-quite-dainty nose.

"Where are we?" Pierce asked, looking around.

Ljubica checked her phone's map. "Shit!" she swore, with feeling. "Fucking Arapice Island."

They finally noticed the shambling hordes of zombies all around them.

"Fuck!" Ljubica shouted, pulling her purple-plated 45 Shepherd and firing over Pierce's shoulder.

The male Saint pulled his own, chromed Shepherd and fired at a zombie that started to rush them. Three holes punched neatly through it's chest, gore splashing out the back, and it kept coming. He finally put one into it's head, upper half disappearing in a shower of dead blood and grey matter, and it tumbled to the street.

"This is bad, Boss," he said, shooting another zombie. "Really bad."

Ljubica nodded. "Cover me while I get some more weapons from the wreckage.

"On it," Pierce responded, firing at several more of the undead.

Ljubica jerked open the door to the Vulture's troop area and climbed in. She flung the weapon cache open and pulled out two K8 Krukovs. They were the more expensive models with extended barrels, box magazines, and grenade launchers. She sighed at seeing only two spare magazines and a handful of grenades for the launchers.

"Who the fuck raided my candy store," she growled, gunfire ringing outside as Pierce fought off zombie after zombie.

Ljubica put one magazine each into a small satchel, stuffed in some emergency rations, and loaded the launchers with the grenades. She then hopped out of the downed gunship.

"Pierce!" she called, tossing him a Krukov and handing over a satchel. "Only one reload, and three grenades for the launcher."

"Not as much firepower as I was hoping for, Boss!" he retorted, holstering his pistol and slinging the assault rifle.

"No shit, you and me both," she responded, flicking the K8's safety off and firing a short burst into the nearest zombie. She noticed there were more and more all the time. "We have to be getting out of here."

"No shit?" Pierce asked sarcastically, spraying several shambling corpses with lead.

Ljubica pulled out her phone to make a call, but it's display read 'No Service, sincerely, the Deckers."

Ljubica cursed harshly in Russian.

"Boss?" Pierce asked, sounding worried, now.

"No signal," she replied. "Fucking Deckers killed it. We really need to be finishing cleaning them out of my city."

"So we have to walk out of here," he said, and did not sound happy.

Ljubica nodded grimly.

The pair worked their way down the street, firing bursts of gunfire into groups of zombies that would rush them. Ljubica's grenade launcher thumped once when a small horde burst from a department store, and the storefront collapsed in on itself, stopping the tide of undead.

"Nice one, Boss!" Pierce called, and not to be outdone, fired a grenade into a cluster of cars surrounded by zombies. Decayed body parts, gore, and shrapnel flew in all directions.

Ljubica dropped the now-empty box magazine out of her Krukov and dug out the fresh one, slamming it home. "We can't keep this up!"

"I know," Pierce replied, spraying a group of zombies as they rushed the two Saints. His rifle went empty, and as he kneeled to fish around for the spare magazine, Ljubica fired over his shoulder and finished them off.

_We will make it,_ Ljubica told herself.

#

Ljubica and Pierce we're backed up against the wall surrounding a factory, firing at what seemed like an endless horde of zombies. She knew they had to be running low on ammo, but what else could they do?

Her Krukov finally clicked empty, and she fired the last grenade they had to make a hole.

"Pierce! Get the fuck out of here!" she shouted, pulling her Shepherd and emptying it into the nearest cluster of zombies. "Head for the river!"

Ljubica screamed in frustration and hurled the empty pistol at another one, caving in it's face and sending it to the pavement.

"No way, Boss!" he shot back. "I'm not leaving you here like that."

Ljubica was touched by his loyalty, but at the same time cursed his stupidity. "I can't save us both!"

"You let Killbane escape when it meant losing our girls," he told her. "I'm not leaving you. You always try to be there for us when it counts!"

As the zombie horde began to rush them, Ljubica steeled herself to fight for her life.

And his.

"Fuck it," she said, with feeling, and pulled Pierce down into a kiss born of desperate passion. She felt herself shove him against the wall with a growl, pinning him in place, and the powerful scent of _him_ had her feeling heady with desire. She poured all of her pent up feelings, things unsaid, and even anger at their situation into the embrace, and when Pierce finally broke it she was breathless, chest heaving. They both were.

"Boss?" he asked, unsure of what had just happened, and then the zombies were on them.

Ljubica screamed in fury, smashing one corpse's face into a light pole. It's head split open like an overripe melon, and she grabbed up her empty rifle by the barrel, swinging it like a club at another. It's head was knocked off in a spray of blood and other things.

"We die as Saints!" she cried, defiant of Death to the very end. It might take them, but it would be on her terms.

But Ljubica and Pierce, despite their best efforts, we're quickly overwhelmed. She found herself struggling with a zombie intent on tearing her throat out with it's crooked, yellowed teeth, and was barely able to keep it at bay. Pierce cried out in pain, and she chanced a look to her side.

Pierce had fallen beneath a pile of the undead, fighting for all he was worth to keep them from tearing him apart. Ljubica shoved the zombie away from her with an angry cry, and jerked two of the cursed beings off of her lieutenant, one in each hand. Rage fueled her strength, and after hurling them away, she caved in another's decaying chest to kick it off of him.

Ljubica helped Pierce to his feet, but the tide was on top of them again, and this time they both went down beneath the wave.

Ljubica felt bitterness and resentment at never telling Pierce how she'd felt. As she fought in vain to shove her way free, suddenly the weight on top of her disappeared, and she leapt to her feet. Pierce was picking himself up, too.

Ljubica felt her heart lurch when she saw their savior. It was Johnny, still wearing his now-tattered sports jacket, white sleeves and upper, purple on the bottom, but he looked very, very dead. His eyes were sunken, hair oddly perfect, but his gaze was empty.

Johnny let out a groan, reaching towards her. Ljubica started to reach for him, too.

"Boss, he's dead!" Pierce shouted, grabbing her hand and starting to tug her away. As she had stared at her dead best friend, a purple Oppressor had landed in the street completely unnoticed by her, and Shaundi, wearing her usual sparkling purple pants, crop top, and jacket, fired a Krukov on full auto from a side door, clearing a path to the chopper.

"Boss, time to go!" Shaundi cried, and then her eyes widened when she saw him, too.

"Johnny...?" the now-glamorous Saint said in a very small voice.

Ljubica shook herself out of her stupor, snatched up her pistol, and dashed towards the helicopter. She threw herself into it, and Pierce was right behind her. Viola was at the controls, and she lifted off into the sky.

"Kinzie traced your cell phone when the helicopter went down," Viola explained. "It was still connected to the network, but we couldn't call you."

"Boss, that was Johnny!" Shaundi screamed, and actually slapped Ljubica across the face, hard.

Ljubica grabbed Shaundi's wrist as she tried a second attack. "Never fucking hit me again, Shaundi, I know who the fuck that was."

_I think he also saved my life,_ she added in her head. _Or was he just hungry?_

"Why did we leave him again?" she asked harshly, accusation heavy in her voice.

"Are you suggesting we put a zombie in this helicopter?" Ljubica asked incredulously. "I am having a plan, though, trust me."

#

It was morning, and Ljubica was making a phone call. Her jacket was folded over a nearby chair, and she wore a bright purple tank top, the word 'SAINTS' in large, block letters visible on her left upper arm. It had angel wings and a halo below it. Her right upper arm had an 8-bit video game rendition of Johnny Gat. The forearm had a flower with a faery hovering over it, and was the only overtly 'girly' tattoo she had. Like so much about her, no one knew what it'a significance was, and no one asked.

After several rings someone finally picked up.

"Tera, it's me," Ljubica said. "I need a favor."

"_Fuck you,_" Tera's voice grated. "_You joined with Ultor, you heartless bitch._"

Ljubica sighed. She'd known this was going to be hard. "Tera, look, it was a business opportunity, that's all. The damned reporter is the one that fucked you-..."

"_Go to hell._"

The line went dead.

"Fuck!" Ljubica cried, hurling her phone against the far wall, where it fell to the ground in a pile of broken glass and plastic.

Ljubica collapsed at her desk, and a sob escaped her. Pierce had avoided her since they got back, and seeing Johnny had affected her deeply. She hadn't slept at all last night, mind unable to rest, and suddenly the burden she bore was just too much. But then there was a knock at the door, and she forced the roiling turmoil of emotions down like she always had to. Composing herself, she finally said, "Come in."

Shaundi peeked her head into the room. "Boss, I heard a bang."

Ljubica gestured to the remains of her phone. "Tera told me to fuck off."

"Wait, the biologist chick! We need her!" Shaundi whined, the Boss' plan becoming suddenly apparent. "Get back on the phone with her! Here, use mine..."

Ljubica waived her off. "I have another idea, she won't work with us because of the Ultor thing. Assemble a crew, we're going to go kidnap her."

"Do you really think she'll work for us if you do that?" Shaundi asked.

"She will when I tell her that she dies if she doesn't, Ljubica retorted. "I need to call Kinzie, find out where Tera disappeared to, give me your phone."

Shaundi nodded, tossing her cell phone over.

"_Hey Shaundi-..._" Kinzie said dryly when she answered.

"It's me, Kinzie," Ljubica interrupted. "I need you to find Tera Patrick for me."

"_The porn star?_" the Saints' hacker asked. "_There are lots of pictures online..._"

"The microbiologist that used to work for Ultor," Ljubica corrected. "She went into hiding and I need her skills."

"_I'm on it, Boss,_" Kinzie replied, and hung up.

Ljubica tossed Shaundi her phone. "Get the crew ready on standby. We move as soon as Kinzie finds her."

#

"_No, I'm serious,_" Kinzie told Ljubica over the phone. "_She's really in Steelport. She has a large apartment in a high-rise in Henry Steel Mills, I'll text you the address_."

"Kinzie, I think I love you," Ljubica gushed. "Bye bye, now." She pulled on her Mamba jacket while they rode the elevator up.

As they headed to the helipad, her phone vibrated, a text message having come in with the location. Ljubica, Shaundi, Pierce, and Viola boarded a Saints-painted Oppressor, Viola at the controls again, and took off towards Henry Steel Mills. The flight to the penthouse was short, and as they hovered high over the building, Ljubica went over the plan.

"This is just a smash and grab," she told them, sliding the action on her D4TH Blossom. "In and out."

Pierce cast an odd glance at her, and Shaundi nodded. At Ljubica's signal, Viola lowered the chopper down to hover above floor forty nine, and the Saints clipped their harnesses onto the airframe. Ljubica was the first one to leap out the opposite side of the helicopter, momentum carrying her out and then swinging her under the aircraft. Shaundi and Pierce followed, but the Saints' leader was the first to open fire on the windows and crash into the living room, rolling to a stop.

Pierce and Shaundi landed next to her, flanking their Boss, and the trio stood, looking around.

"What the fuck you crazy bitch!" Tera screamed from the kitchen, pulling a long knife from a wooden block on the counter. She looked exotic, southeast Asian but not completely, and wore only a bathrobe, her long, dark hair pulled up into a bun.

"I wouldn't do that," Ljubica advised, pointing her weapon. "Come quietly and I will let you live after we are done."

Tera glowered at the Saints, but dropped the knife and nodded. "You're going to pay for this," she warned.

"Blah blah, yack yack yack. Let's go for a ride," Ljubica said with a smirk.

#

"You want me to do _what!_" Tera asked heatedly. "That's impossible!"

The Saints were gathered in the main living area of the temporary headquarters above Safeword, all the lieutenants were present, and Ljubica did not look happy. Her jacket was open, revealing her Shepherd, and she was tapping on the grip with her fingers.

"Cure the zombie gas, that's it," Ljubica urged.

"Cure the zombie gas, that's it," Tera mocked, even trying to sound Slavic.

"_It ain't nice to make fun of how people talk,_" Zimos sang in his autotune-effected voice. "_I got a corner she can work for us, Boss, if she can't get it right._"

Ljubica frowned, and Shaundi edged away from her. When the hot-headed Boss frowned, people started dying.

"Listen to me very carefully, stupid bitch," Ljubica hissed. "I'm going to bring you Johnny Gat, the zombie, and you are going to give me Johnny Gat, the man."

"And I'm telling you, it isn't possible," the microbiologist insisted. "I can't play fucking _God!_"

"You're going to try, and succeed, or die," Ljubica said darkly. "I'm going to go get Johnny, and you're going to tell Kinzie here what you need to be making him not_ a zombie._"

Tera shook her head, but remained silent.

Ljubica looked over at the redhead. "Buy her whatever she wishes. If we can't buy it, I'll go steal it."

Kinzie nodded, and managed a faint smile. She'd never worked for someone that insisted on getting their hands dirty all the time. She rather liked it.

"Now," Ljubica began, pausing briefly until she had everyone's attention, and then turned her gaze toward Oleg. "Comrade, we need to modify a Bear to hold something very strong."

The towering Russian juggernaut nodded. "It will happen. How long do I have?"

"Two days," Ljubica stated.

"I will get some of the more mechanically-inclined Saints to aid me," he replied, and headed for the elevators.

Ljubica nodded, and turned to Pierce. "We need a cell in the utility area that can hold Johnny until Tera can cure him.

"Boss," Pierce said gently. "Look, I know you two went deep and all, but this is getting cra-..."

"Shut the fuck up right now," Ljubica growled, cutting him off. "Make me a god-damned cage or drop your fucking flag." It hurt her to say it, but she was done hearing people tell her this was a stupid idea. Johnny was her closest friend.

Pierce looked stunned the Boss would even suggest that, but nodded sharply and walked off. Shaundi stared at Ljubica like she had grown a second head, but kept silent. She thought this whole thing was crazy, too, but the Boss tended to accomplish what she set her mind to.

"When everything is ready, I will lead a team to assault Arapice Island," Ljubica said, looking around at the remaining lieutenants. "Strictly voluntary."

"You know I'm in, Boss," Shaundi said immediately.

Ljubica nodded, offering the other woman a slight smile.

"No offense," Viola began, her voice droll, "But I'm not playing with zombies. They scare the hell out of me. I'll fly you in, but that's all."

"He's dead because of you, you fucking cowa-..." Shaundi started screaming.

"That's enough, Shaundi!" Ljubica barked, and her Lieutenant's mouth snapped shut. Turning to Viola, she said, "Fair enough, but we are not going in by air. I guess that leaves Oleg by default. Zimos?"

"_I ain't goin' nowhere with no hordes of undead killing machines,_" Zimos sang.

"What about Pierce?" Shaundi asked cautiously. "He already survived there with you."

Ljubica felt her cheeks flush, and hated it. She suddenly felt like everyone could see right through her.

"Yes, yes of course, Pierce," she added hastily. "I will ask him." She didn't want him in that sort of danger again, and was still pissed at him, but also couldn't afford to show any signs of playing favorites with her Saints.

Ljubica clasped her hands together behind her back, heading for the utility area. "There is work to be doing, let's be getting to it."

#

Ljubica found Pierce taking measurements. His jacket and dress shirt were hanging from an overhead pipe, and the muscles rippling across his back and arms were clearly visible through the tight, white undershirt he wore. She took a moment to admire the view, which was interrupted when he turned around.

"What's up, Boss?" Pierce asked tightly, anger radiating from him in nearly-palpable waves.

"I am asking for volunteers to find Johnny," she told him. "And I am wanting you to not volunteer."

"What the fuck?" he asked sharply. "Are you shitting me, woman?"

"Pierce..."

"No way I'm staying here," he told her matter-of-factly. "Not unless you tie me down."

"I can arrange that," Ljubica said with a sly smile, feeling herself blush at the mental image.

"Oh, hell no!" he shot back, recalling her interest in taking him to Safeword. "Not on your life."

"Pierce, I almost lost you once, quit being difficult. You would be a hard lieutenant to replace."

"You know it's more than that, Boss," he retorted carefully. He still wasn't sure how he felt about what happened back on Arapice Island.

Ljubica sighed. Neither of them had really had a chance to talk about what had happened between them.

"What are you wanting from me, an apology?" she asked harshly.

Pierce shook his head. "Pierce Washington never asks the ladies to apologize for a kiss." After a moment, he added, "Especially one like that."

Ljubica felt herself begin to smile, softly, and locked her face down. "I thought it would be my last chance."

They both watched each other in silence for several long moments. Ljubica finally broke the silence.

"Okay," she said, drawing the last syllable out. "As you were." The Saints' leader hurried to the stairs.

_Damn you, Pierce Washington,_ she thought as she shut the door behind her.

#

Ljubica sat at her desk, brooding in the dark, while Anatoli Lyadov's _The Enchanted Lake_ played over the room's impressive stereo system. She'd hardly left her rooms since talking to Pierce, almost never allowing herself this luxury of wasted time, and in less than 12 hours, now, she was going to storm Arapice Island with her Saints and bring one of their fallen back home.

_What if Tera can't reverse it?_ She thought, elbows on the desk and head in her hands. She picked at a plate of very cold spaghetti, twirling her fork around.

_Tera had fucking better,_ she told herself. _She's going for a long dive to the pavement if she fails._

There was a quiet knock at the door.

"Go away," she called.

Shaundi opened the door instead, and spoke softly, worry clear in her voice. "Boss..."

"What part of 'go away' didn't you get, Shaundi?" Ljubica asked heatedly. "I'm thinking."

"You're moping," Shaundi corrected. "This isn't like you."

"I do not mope!" Ljubica insisted, but knew her Lieutenant was right.

"We'll make it work, okay?" Shaundi promised.

Ljubica nodded, but said nothing.

"You loved him, too, didn't you?" Shaundi asked tentatively.

"Of course," Ljubica shot back, sounding defensive. "We have always been there for each other. He was my closest friend, the crazy fucker."

Shaundi was quiet for a moment. That wasn't what she meant, but she nodded anyway and closed the door.

"Except when you needed me the most, Johnny," Ljubica murmured to the darkness, feeling bitter. "But you were still there for me to the very end, weren't you?"

#

Ljubica looked over the modified Bear with approval, but then something caught her eye.

"Where the fuck are the guns?" she asked, sounding annoyed.

"My apologies," Oleg said, "But we needed the space the magazine and weapon mounts took up for containment."

Ljubica sighed, but nodded. "It's fine."

"Manny Rodriguez is a wizard at fabrication," Oleg went on. "He works at a Rim Jobs that we own."

"He helped me out, too, Boss," Pierce informed her. "The cage here is done."

Ljubica nodded, making a mental note to talk with the boy. "Good." Turning to Oleg, she said, "Comrade, it is strictly voluntary, but I would ask that you join us this day. I will need your great strength to handle Johnny without riddling him with bullets."

Oleg nodded immediately. "We will go forth like Arthur and his Knights."

Ljubica grinned. "Good. We leave in an hour."

#

The Saints' convoy consisted of an ex-STAG N-Forcer at the vanguard, an ex-SNG Bulldog covering the rear, and the modified Bear in the middle. All three vehicles were purple, of course, and sporting black trim instead of the usual gold, though the wheels were still bold and gold. Everyone rode in somber silence, and Oleg clung to the roof of the Bulldog, standing in it's bed. He was so physically large that it was his main way of travel with other Saints.

As they neared the draw bridge leading to Arapice Island, Ljubica, driving the lead truck, gave the signal. She shoved the pedal to the floor and triggered the N-Forcer's nitrous system, surging ahead. Shaundi snapped the Bulldog around the slower Bear and caught up to the Boss. Despite it's size, Pierce was close behind in the heavily armored carrier, and all three vehicles sailed over the waterway.

The trucks landed hard, jostling their occupants roughly, and then each woman jerked the wheel almost in unison and slid sideways to a stop. The Bear crashed back into the earth, and Pierce barely managed to keep it under control as he was was slammed around inside. He parked behind the other two vehicles.

Saints clambered up into the turret weapon of each truck, scanning around for trouble. Manuel Rodriguez, youthful and strongly ethnic Hispanic, was in the N-Forcer's weapon, and a young black woman was in the Bulldog's.

Ljubica shoved the door open and got out, slinging a Krukov over her shoulder. Her lieutenants and a mix of male and female Saints joined her by the Bear, all heavily armed.

"We brought lots of guns this time," Ljubica said. "But the first mother fucker to shoot Johnny's zombie will join him, got it? He's in a Saints jacket, don't screw up."

There was a murmur of approval.

Ljubica nodded. "Manny!" she called. "You're in charge of the trucks. We may need to leave quickly."

"You can count on me, Boss!" the boy called back. He kissed a rosary hanging from his neck and tucked it back into his undershirt.

"Let's do this," Ljubica growled. "We're coming, Johnny."

#

Ljubica fired a burst from her Krukov into a large gathering of zombies, spraying blood and gore in every direction. Another group charged, and Shaundi cut them down before they were halfway there.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," Ljubica sang quietly. Johnny Gat's zombie had yet to make an appearance after an hour of searching.

"Boss," Shaundi said urgently.

Ljubica looked up at her lieutenant, then followed the other woman's gaze.

It was Johnny, fighting with a bunch of zombies near the downed Vulture.

"Has he been staying by the helicopter this whole time?" Ljubica asked, looking at Pierce.

Pierce shrugged. "Who knows."

Ljubica thought of how Johnny had reached for her the last time, then shook her head.

"Let's go get him."

Ljubica took the lead, slinging her automatic rifle behind her back and pulling her Shepherd. She picked off two of the zombies near her friend in quick succession, and after taking a moment to aim, another.

Pierce and Shaundi kept their backs from being overrun while the Boss took care of things up front.

"I will do my best not to break him," Oleg said from Ljubica's side.

The Saints' leader looked over at him. "Give me a moment first. I want to try something."

Furrowing his brow, the Russian behemoth nodded.

"What the fuck, Boss?" Pierce asked.

Ljubica ignored him, and walked to stand in front of Johnny.

"Johnny, are you in there?" she asked carefully.

Johnny Gat groaned, and reached for her.

Ljubica tentatively reached for his hand. When hers was close, Johnny's suddenly closed on her wrist and jerked her against his body. She shoved back at him, barely keeping gnashing teeth from tearing her throat out.

"Oleg!" Ljubica shouted, and then her vision spun wildly as she was thrown into a nearby wall. It hurt terribly to move, vision swimming, but she got to her feet anyway. Oleg was grappling with Johnny, and had the upper hand.

"I have him!" Oleg called.

"We need to draw him back to the convoy," Ljubica said quickly. "Before more zombies show up."

Oleg shoved Johnny away, and turned to run. The rest of the Saints followed, gunning down zombies that charged the small group. Rushing through the streets, they rounded a building, and the trucks could be seen a hundred yards away. Laser blasts and machine gun fire could be heard in the distance.

Ljubica holstered her pistol and unslung the Krukov, firing a grenade into a group of zombies ten yards away.

"Almost there!" she called, looking back to make sure Johnny was still following them.

He was, shoving anything out of his way that got in his path.

Ljubica felt alive as she ran, adrenalin coursing through her veins. She fired short bursts into anything that moved towards her, and as they neared the vehicles, she saw the desperate situation Manny was in for the first time. Three Saints lay dead on the ground, bodies broken and partially eaten, among seemingly endless piles of zombies, and still more charged the trucks in waves. She fired a grenade into the horde.

"Manny, we're leaving!" Ljubica called, firing another grenade. "We need time to load Johnny!"

The laser weapon's firing increased in intensity.

Ljubica looked back to see Johnny was still coming, but there was a tsunami of the dead surging along behind him.

And Pierce was nowhere to be seen.

"Shit," she hissed, shoving down the growing dread gripping her insides. "Shaundi, Oleg, get Johnny inside! Where the fuck is Pierce?"

Shaundi looked around. "I thought he was right next to me."

"I'll find him," Ljubica assured her, and went to dash off. Oleg grabbed her wrist.

"It is suicide," the hulking Saint said.

Ljubica jerked her hand away. "I never leave a Saint behind, comrade. Remember that if you are ever in trouble."

Oleg nodded sharply, and turned to meet Johnny. Ljubica barely noticed the Saints and zombies clash as she dashed into an alley. She quietly made her way away from the convoy, and then finally heard the sound she was hoping for.

Ljubica heard automatic gunfire to the east, and it wasn't far.

"I'm coming Pierce," she whispered, and swapped magazines with her last spare.

Ljubica moved east, carefully avoiding the streets. So far she had remained out of sight, but she knew that when she got to Pierce they would probably be in a very bad spot, judging by the urgent sound of his gunfire.

Ljubica finally heard Pierce's Krukov close by, and stepping out from an alley she saw him.

Pierce was behind a stalled car, firing over the hood at anything that moved. Scores of bodies littered the area, and as he took time to reload, the remaining zombies in the area closed in. He had to shoot at one crawling over the hood when he was ready to fire again.

"Pierce!" Ljubica called, sending a withering barrage of lead down range.

"I knew you wouldn't leave me, Boss!" he said as she reached him.

"Fuck no," she agreed.

"I got separated," he explained, firing a grenade to make a hole. "I tried to move around that nastiness Johnny had behind him, but... yeah."

"Never scare me like that again," she said quietly, then headed back for the alley. "We'll stick to the back ways. Less walking corpses."

The pair took a moment to clear any zombies that saw them make their retreat, then headed for the vehicles.

#

Ljubica and Pierce arrived to find the Bear sealed shut, so Johnny was loaded up, but an impossible amount of zombies surrounded the convoy. The Saints mowed them down, but the horde seemed endless.

Pierce fired a grenade into their backs. "I'm out!"

"Fuck," Ljubica growled, firing her last grenade. They both rushed into the gap, their Krukov's spraying ahead of them to keep the path open.

Machine gun fire supported their approach, and as they got close to the trucks, Ljubica could see Shaundi in the Bulldog's now-bloody turret. The woman that had been in it lay on the ground nearby, everything below her waist raggedly torn away. Oleg was swinging a telephone pole like a bat, sweeping away zombies by the dozens.

"Saints!" Ljubica called, smashing a zombie's face in with the butt of her rifle. "_We! Are! Leaving!_"

Ljubica jerked open the driver's door of the N-Forcer and climbed up into it. Pierce threw himself into the Bear's driver seat, and Oleg hopped up into the Bulldog's bed, hurling the improvised weapon at the horde. Shaundi crawled out of the turret and into the truck's driver seat, and all three vehicles roared to life.

Ljubica was the first to pull out, driving over countless numbers of zombies as she wheeled the heavy truck around towards the drawbridge. Shaundi was close behind, and Pierce struggled to get the Bear turned around. The two trucks surged ahead, engines roaring as the women driving them hit the nitrous, and Pierce followed as fast as the heavier Bear could manage.

As the two trucks sailed over the expanse, the Bear's left rear wheel locked up, and the huge troop carrier spun into a slide before flipping over through the air.

Ljubica was bounced around as her truck landed, and to her horror, in the rearview mirror she saw the Bear come crashing down on it's side and roll down the bridge. It slammed into a storefront, knocking over a fire hydrant to spray a jet of water into the air.

"Pierce!" she screamed, and slammed on the brakes, coming to a stop in the middle of an intersection. Shaundi narrowly avoided rear-ending the Boss, and screeched to a halt. Ljubica shoved her door open, and called to Manny as she rushed to the stricken transport. "Stay put!"

Pierce was pulling himself free from the wreckage as Ljubica reached him. Blood ran down his face from a cut on his forehead.

"Sorry, Boss, I don't know what happened," he said, sounding apologetic. "It's a good thing we didn't drive around the island to search for Johnny."

Ljubica shook her head. "Just promise to quit scaring me," she said with a chuckle.

Shaundi and Oleg ran up. "What the fuck, Pierce! You should have let me drive the damned Bear!"

"Easy, Shaundi," Ljubica urged.

"The damned thing just jerked into a slide, girl, just before the jump," Pierce retorted. "It wasn't my fault."

"I already texted the boys, they're sending a Stork," Shaundi said with a huff, crossing her arms.

"That's my girl," Ljubica praised.

The Saints moved the trucks that were blocking traffic, and a heavy thumping could soon be heard in the distance. A dark grey Stork sky-crane appeared in the skies overhead, hooked cables trailing towards the ground.

"Boss!" Manny shouted over the noise of the rotors. "We've got company!"

Three black and green Compensators and a Bulldog slid to a stop, and several Luchadores piled out of them with shotguns and SMGs.

"Fuck me," Ljubica growled, drawing her Shepherd and thumbing the safety off. Her Krukov was still back in the truck. Manny trained his laser turret on the vehicles.

_I'm killing every mother fucking gang leader that ever comes at me again,_ she promised herself.

"We saw you're airlifting somethin' here on our turf," the largest one said in a deep, rumbling voice. He was tall and powerfully built, skin so dark it was nearly black.

"This is Saints territory," Ljubica said heatedly. "Your boss fled the city like a bitch."

"There's new management in town," he informed her, walking right up and towering over her, trying for intimidation. He clearly had no idea who she was, or was too stupid to live. "There's a tax on moving merchandise through here."

Ljubica shot him under the chin, kicking his falling body away from her. "Fucking imbecile," she spat, and dove for cover behind a car as the remaining Luchadores opened up with their weapons.

Oleg waded into the fray, tossing the bodybuilding Luchadores around like dolls, and Ljubica couldn't help but grin at the sight. The hulking Russian made them look tiny in comparison. Two managed to flee from his wrath, and she shot them in the back. Shaundi took careful aim with her rifle and shot another one that got out of the big guy's way.

Two more Luchadores Compensators careened to a halt in the intersection, grenades being fired out a side window, and one of Steelport's finest started firing on their vehicles while radioing in to the station. "I need backup at-..."

"We need to get out of here, Boss," Pierce said, firing at another arriving Luchadores truck. "It's too hot."

Ljubica nodded, waiving at the helicopter hovering nearby. It lumbered back over to the area, and she and Pierce connected two hooks to the broken vehicle. The pilot of the Stork deftly pulled it away from the wall, and they attached the remaining chains. Ljubica waived it off, and the sky-crane lifted up into the sky with it's cargo.

"Pierce, you're with me," Ljubica ordered. "We have room in my N-Forcer."

Her Lieutenant nodded, and fired a barrage of bullets into a Luchadores Compensator. Police vehicles began arriving on the scene, and the Luchadores were quickly caught up in a firefight with the law.

"Shaundi! Oleg!" Ljubica called. "Let's get the fuck out of here, we have shit to do! Let the police deal with these pig-dogs!"

The Saints escaped to the protection of their heavy trucks, leaving the area with a squeal of tires and roaring of engines.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

"I need a powerful supercomputer to even try," Tera stated haughtily. The Saints lieutenants and leader were lounging in the main living area the next day. Ljubica wore a black tank top with her riding pants and boots today.

"Kinzie has the best," Ljubica retorted, sitting up. "We stole it from STAG."

"She's not touching my computer," the hacker shot back, sounding annoyed.

"Fuck that," Ljubica growled. "She can use it if I say she can."

Kinzie looked defiant, but kept her mouth shut.

"What else?" Ljubica asked.

"A lab," the microbiologist replied. "A good one."

"We'll set it up at Kinzie'a warehouse," Ljubica stated. "Anything she needs, Kinzie, am I clear?"

"Crystal," the ex-FBI agent said frostily, crossing her arms.

"I would assist her, if I may," Oleg interjected. "I study microbiology as a hobby. Kinzie, you should help with the computer algorithms to run the simulations we'll need."

The redhead blushed, casting a sideways glance at the man she called 'the Russian Superman.' "Sure."

"I don't need help," Tera said, clearly offended. "Especially not from some hobbyist."

"You keep bitching about being unable to do it," Ljubica noted. "Oleg is brilliant, I think you could use his help."

Tera rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"This is when you stop being a miserable bitch," Ljubica said darkly. "Your life is depending on your performance from here on out. Got it?"

Tera nodded, glowering.

"Good," Ljubica replied, brightening. "You've got work to do. Be getting to it."

#

Ljubica sat on a metal stool outside Johnny's cell. She had been spending a lot of time over the past week down in the utility area sitting on this stool, often just sitting in silence, but sometimes she talked. She hadn't realized how much she missed having someone to talk to. Being so busy with Steelport and the Syndicate, she hadn't even taken time to really think about Johnny's death, either, and finally being confronted with his body, it hit her hard. Harder than she would ever admit to anyone.

Ljubica chuckled quietly. "You remember after Dane Vogel died, how we were flying off in the helicopter and you were down in the streets fighting oncoming cops? You must have fought off dozens, more than that. Johnny Gat in his natural environment."

She was silent for several moments, and then sounded viciously angry when she spoke again. "How the _fuck_ could you let some Morningstar assholes take you out, Johnny?"

Johnny just stared at her, eyes cold and dead.

"Fuck!" she screamed, standing in a rush and hurling the stool at the cell. She stormed up the the bars and railed at her dead friend, kicking the stool out of her way.

"How the fuck could you leave me!" she shouted raggedly, chest heaving. "The Saints needed you, and you're fucking dead!"

Johnny stared at her blankly.

"Shaundi and Pierce really stepped up, and the new guys are good, but _nobody is Johnny Gat!_" she yelled, breath now shaky. "When I needed you by my side the most you were fucking gone, Johnny! Gone!"

Johnny let out a quiet, wet-sounding moan.

"Fuck!" Ljubica shrieked, harsh and piercing. Her throat was starting to hurt, raw from yelling, but an overpowering rage had consumed her, and she slammed her fists into the bars of the cell several times, punctuating each strike with the word "Fuck!" screamed at the top of her lungs.

From her spot in the shadows, Shaundi flinched as every cry echoed from the concrete ceiling and walls. She'd come down to ask a question earlier, but hadn't wanted to interrupt. Curiosity had gotten the better of her, so she'd remained hidden.

Ljubica collapsed against the bars with a miserable sob. A distant part of her mind told her she needed to pick herself up before somebody saw her or came to investigate all the commotion, but the part in control right now told it to fuck off.

Shaundi almost moved from her spot. She didn't want Johnny grabbing the Boss through the bars, but Ljubica finally shoved herself away with a sniffle.

"Shaundi told me I loved you the other day," Ljubica said quietly, wiping tears from her eyes. She hated herself for breaking down like that. "Fuck, I'm crying," she added with a faint laugh.

Shaundi's brow furrowed. The Boss didn't do shit like cry. There was a rumor going around that she even had Image As Designed remove her tear ducts, just in case.

"But she's right, Johnny," Ljubica said softly. "You were my closest friend, the very best, and I need you back. The _Saints_ need you back."

Ljubica took several moments to steady her breathing. She felt herself getting emotional again.

"Shaundi took your death the hardest," Ljubica said, sounding bitter about the fact. "She mourned for all of us, I think, while I was too busy worrying about overthrowing the fucking Syndicate and killing that bastard Loren."

After a pause, she went on, sighing heavily. "I'm tired Johnny. I'm tired of always having to be seeking revenge on those who killed my friends, instead of being able to save them."

_You saved me,_ Shaundi thought.

"I did save Shaundi and Viola," Ljubica added, as if reading the other woman's mind. "They're mine damn it, and nobody takes away what's mine. Shit started going down all at once and I had to choose, go after that bitch Eddie Pryor or save my girls. Angel, a new guy, wanted me to go after him and Oleg agreed, but I couldn't bear to lose Shaundi, too, to this fucking city."

Shaundi bit her lower lip. She hadn't known the details of Killbane's escape, or that the Boss had been forced to choose like that. The Boss always just showed up whenever she was kidnapped, and she sort of took it for granted that she'd be rescued. But it also explained why Angel had just disappeared. He probably felt cheated, or was hunting his older partner.

_Well fuck him!_ Shaundi thought happily, suddenly glad to be alive. She made a mental note to tell Viola.

Ljubica's face lit up. "Holy shit, I forgot you didn't know! I also saved Burt _Fucking_ Reynolds' life that day. He's the mayor of Steelport!"

Johnny just stared back at her.

Ljubica smirked. "Yeah, thanks for listening. I better get out of here before I am being missed."

Shaundi sank further into the shadows as Ljubica left, and then waited several minutes before following her out.

#

Ljubica was chilling on the couch, watching a _Bobby and Ambe_r rerun, when her phone rang, an unknown number on the display. She answered it anyway.

"_I need an uncommon chemical that you can't get without a license that I don't have,_" Tera announced as soon as Ljubica picked up.

"Go on," Ljubica urged.

"_Triethylglicertouluene C,_" Tera said.

"I'm not going to try and repeat that back to you," Ljubica replied. "Get Kinzie to find it for you, and we'll go get it."

Ljubica hung up and turned the huge flat panel television off. She knew what she'd do until Kinzie called her back.

#

Ljubica pulled her X2 Phantom into a bay at the Rim Jobs in The Grove. It was royal purple with black trim, the blue having been replaced by Kinzie at her direction. Killing the ignition and stepping over the long, sleek motorcycle, she pulled off her helmet and unzipped her jacket to cool off, looking around. The helmet was full-faced, purple, and had a wide black stripe down the middle flanked with white pinstripes.

"Where's Manny?" she asked.

A balding, middle-aged Hispanic man walked over from another car he was working on. "Can I help you, miss...?"

"You're not Manny," she replied.

"I'm the owner, he's-..."

"I am owning this place, actually," Ljubica interrupted, growing annoyed. "Now, where the fuck is Manny Rodriquez?"

"He's not in right now," the man said, growing angry himself.

"When will he be back?" Ljubica asked sarcastically, becoming more and more irritated. She started to reach into her jacket for her Shepherd.

"Hey Boss, what's up?" Manny asked, walking out from the office and restroom area. His purple coveralls were stained with every color of brown and black imaginable.

Ljubica frowned at the older man, and he suddenly looked afraid of the what saw in her eyes. He hurried back to the car he'd been working on, and she turned her attention to Manny. "You're done working at this shithole," she said. "You're going to fix all my personal vehicles from now on."

Manny looked shocked. "I'm honored, but do you think-..."

"Yes, or I wouldn't be here," Ljubica interrupted, then quirked a wry smile. "I'm not blaming you for the Bear breaking down, they're not exactly meant for stunt driving."

"O-okay, thanks!" Manny all-but-shouted. "When do I start?"

"Right now," she replied, zipping her jacket up and tossing him her helmet. "You'll find the pay is a lot better, too."

Ljubica thumbed the ignition and her Phantom purred to life. As she walked the motorcycle backwards out of the shop, she noticed Manny was still standing there with the helmet in his hands.

"What's the problem?" she asked. His youthfulness reminded her fondly of Carlos.

"Well," Manny began, stammering. "I'm a... and you're a..." He rubbed the back of his head.

_How cute, I am making him blush,_ she thought. Out loud, she said, "Oh, for fuck's sake. Get on the back of the damned motorcycle, Manny."

He hesitated, but finally put the helmet on and climbed onto the rear saddle.

"Now put your arms around my waist," Ljubica instructed. "You don't want to be flying off. And don't try to be helping with the turning, just be still."

It took him several moments of indecision, staring at the soft, exposed skin of her lower back, but Manny eventually placed his fingers on her hips, gingerly. She squirmed.

"Manny..." Ljubica chuckled. "That tickles. Quit being foolish."

Manny sighed, but finally held onto her hips. Ljubica gently twisted the throttle, easing the Phantom out into the street, and then shifted well below the machine's redline.

It was almost sad to ride it so gently all the way to Safeword.

"Manny, hang on tight," Ljubica advised.

"Huh?" he asked, suddenly gripping so tight that she knew her her waist would have lurid red marks where his fingers dug into her pale flesh.

Ljubica squeezed the clutch lever, clicked down two gears, and matched revs to keep the rear wheel from kicking loose before wrapping the throttle all the way around. The Phantom lunged forward, it's ghostly wail drowning out Manny's yelp of fear and her own whoop of joy.

#

"_The Luchadores have a warehouse in New Baranec with the stuff you need,_" Kinzie explained over the phone. "_They use it to clean their guns, and just got a shipment so it's still in the truck._"

"You're my favorite person, Kinzie, have I told you that?" Ljubica replied.

"_No, but it's understandable. I'm super awesome,_" the hacker replied, and hung up.

Ljubica looked over at Shaundi, who was playing some sort of game on her cell phone involving birds being flung into houses in order to knock them over. After several seconds of being ignored, she spoke.

"Earth to Shaundi, come in, please," Ljubica said sarcastically.

Shaundi immediately closed the game and put her phone away. "Sorry, Boss, what's up?"

"We're going on a grocery trip, you and I."

#

"These Luchadores fucks think they can squat in a warehouse in my city," Ljubica whispered harshly. The two women crouched in a shadow outside the warehouse, each cradling a K8 Krukov.

"The Syndicate is a lot harder to get rid of than we're used to, Boss," Shaundi said quietly. "What's the plan?"

"Smash and grab," Ljubica replied matter-of-factly.

Shaundi rolled her eyes. "You should have tapped Pierce. He makes better plans."

"Well I tried to tap that a-..." Ljubica began, then stammered to a halt, thankful that the darkness hid her blushing. "Er, uh... He was unavailable."

"He's a good planner is all I'm saying," Shaundi retorted. Shaundi couldn't figure out why the Boss had the hots for Pierce when he was so painfully not into her, but wish she'd let it go.

Ljubica nodded. "We just need to get the truck with the chemical and get out. Simple."

"It never is," Shaundi shot back.

Ljubica smirked. "I keep telling you, my plans are always working."

The women worked their way to a side door, and Ljubica cracked a guard over the back of his head with the butt of her rifle.

"How sneaky of you," Shaundi quipped.

"Do not underestimate the sneakiness," Ljubica shot back, grinning.

Shaundi groaned.

Ljubica fished a key from the fallen guard's pocket, and used it to open the door. The warehouse was mostly dark inside, though harsh lights buzzed high overhead.

"There!" Ljubica said, pointing. There was a Mule parked near a loading dock, with several barrels clustered near the rear.

"They seriously can't be guarding a warehouse with one guy," Shaundi said, looking around cautiously. "This feels like a trap. Did the Deckers feed our girl bad information?"

"Kinzie always has good intel," Ljubica said, making her way towards the truck. "They don't have anyone left to challenge her with Matt Miller gone."

There was a cough somewhere to the left, and a tiny dart embedded itself into Ljubica's neck.

"Then again..." she said, already feeling woozy. She stumbled, falling against Shaundi, who caught her.

"Boss!" Shaundi cried, and then a dart hit her, too, in the back. The lieutenant collapsed like a marionette whose strings had been cut.

Ljubica fought to remain on her feet. Figures were moving out of the shadows already, but she couldn't make them out.

"Need... get out... ...-f here..." Ljubica muttered, falling to her knees. She struggled to her feet again, taking an sloppy swing at one of the larger figures. She missed, and there was a lot of masculine laughter.

"Damn this bitch is tough," someone said. It sounded thick, slow, and distant.

Ljubica felt the sting of several more darts, and darkness finally took her, body collapsing on top of Shaundi's.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

Chapter 3

Ljubica woke up to a skull-splitting headache, and when she opened her eyes, her vision was blurry and swirling.

Then she noticed her wrists were chained to the wall behind her, arms splayed out, and her ankles were bound, too. There was a heavy wooden table in the middle of the room, and a one-way window along the same wall as the door. Her jacket was gone, and so was Shaundi.

"I see our guest has finally woken up," a familiar voice said, but Ljubica couldn't make him out or place it.

A man in a black and gold wrestling outfit sat in a chair near the door. He was heavily muscled, and had a brace on his right knee.

Blinking, Ljubica finally recognized the purple, black, and gold Lucha Libre mask the man wore.

"You traitorous mother fucker!" she spat, pulling hard on her bonds and leaning forward. Her shoulder-length hair was loose and hung in her face, and a seething rage started to clear away the fog.

_It will never happen to me again,_ she thought, using her anger to keep the oncoming panic at bay.

"You're one to talk," Angel De La Meurte told her. "You let Killbane escape, and I almost died trying to keep him here by myself."

"I told you to fucking wait for me!" Ljubica raged, jerking savagely at her restraints. She didn't feel them begin to cut into her wrists, blood running down her forearms. Her only thoughts were escaping, and killing.

"And you never showed," he replied calmly. "You're a coward."

"I'm a coward!" Ljubica replied harshly. "I had to save my girls! And you laid a trap instead of facing me, you fucking pussy!"

Angel smiled darkly. "I know your reputation, and you passed all my tests, after all. I wasn't taking any chances."

"What the fuck have you done with Shaundi?" Ljubica grated.

"Ah, the Saints' biggest weakness and liability," he replied. "She's being taken _good_ care of."

As if to punctuate the comment, a Shaundi's scream was heard from somewhere nearby.

"You mother fucker," Ljubica growled. "I'm going to drown you in a fucking lake of fire."

"No one knows you're here, princess, I made sure of that," Angel retorted. "No one is coming to rescue you."

Ljubica grinned, more a baring of her teeth than mirth. "Do I really strike you as the fair maiden type, waiting to be rescued?"

"No, and that's your problem," Angel told her. "You're a woman playing in a man's game."

"You're just jealous because my dick's bigger than yours, you sexist piece of shit."

Angel frowned. "We'll see about that. The Luchadores was our gang, once, before Killbane shamed me. Thanks for helping me get my mask back, by the way. They readily took me back."

Angel got up and walked over to her, reaching for her waistband. "I was gonna just exchange you for territory, but now we'll have a little fun, too."

"So much for fucking honor," Ljubica grated. She scrunched her eyes shut, shaking her head to force away images of the long-dead soldier's leering faces that kept appearing in front of her eyes. But they waited for her behind her eyelids, too.

With a cry, Ljubica pulled harder than she ever had in her life, muscles in her arm bulging so hard that it hurt, and the bolts holding the right chain popped free from the wall. She hit Angel in the jaw with that same strength, sending him reeling backwards.

"Fuck that!" she hissed, struggling to pull her other hand free.

Angel roared, grabbing her free hand and shoving it against the wall. He pinned it in place, grinding her fingers brutally against the rough brick. Ljubica grit her teeth, refusing to scream, and she fought off the surge of overwhelming terror that tried to take hold.

_Never. Again!_ she kept telling herself.

"Now I'm going to really hurt you," the former Saint growled in her ear. She barely registered his voice, instead hearing the voices of those men from so long ago, on the other side of the world.

Ljubica rammed her forehead into his face, and Angel let go of her with an anguished cry. He stumbled backwards, hands going to his injury. Blood ran from between his fingers, and when he lowered them, his nose was flattened behind his mask like an overripe tomato, broken and bleeding profusely.

Ljubica twisted her body, using the key she'd just swiped from him to unlock her left wrist, and then kneeled to open the chains on her ankles. As she rose, Angel had recovered and was about to charge.

"Poor chauvinist fuck got his ass kicked by a girl," Ljubica sang, putting the table between them. Now that she was free, the memories began to fade again. "Tell me where Shaundi is and I promise to kill you quickly."

"Not gonna happen," Angel rumbled, voice sounding stuffy. "I'll trade her life for yours, though."

"You're pathetic," Ljubica said derisively. "Eddie beat your bitch ass twice. I had to fight for you, and then you come out acting like some bad ass. What happened to 'I broke my leg'?"

"Congratulations," Angel said stiffly, pride obviously hurt. "Your girl is now property of the Luchadores."

Before Ljubica could respond, the door crashed inward and a Luchadore stood there pointing a Shepherd. She turned, and immediately tackled the larger wrestler, snapping his neck as they hit the floor. Then she heard a crashing of glass. Cursing harshly, she shoved herself to her feet and out into the hallway and it's flickering fluorescents.

Angel was nowhere to be seen.

"Fucking bastard!" Ljubica screamed, rushing down the hallway in the direction she thought the earlier scream had come from. "Shaundi, do you hear me!"

There was no response.

Ljubica kicked in every door she came to, but her lieutenant and friend was not found behind any of them.

And then there she was, laying on the floor of a room not much bigger than a large closet.

"Fuck," Ljubica whispered, kneeling to untie her. "Oh, Shaundi..."

Shaundi's face was one giant, ugly bruise, and her clothing was a ripped and torn mess. She was covered in blood, hands bound, and her pants were down around her ankles. She was gagged with something purple.

Ljubica pulled it out, and saw it was the woman's underwear.

"_Fucking animals!_" she spat viciously. Every Luchadore in the city had just been sentenced to dearth.

"I'm okay, Boss," Shaundi murmured. "They... they didn't have the chance to... I-I think it was just psychological..."

Relief flooded Ljubica, and she nodded, working at untying the ropes. "They're still fucking dead."

Shaundi nodded quietly, pulling up her pants, and let Ljubica help her up. The Boss noticed a dead Luchadore in the corner, and couldn't help but grin for a moment.

"You're sure nothing happened?" Ljubica asked, searching the other woman's face. She knew it was all-too-easy to lie.

Shaundi nodded. "Yeah, Boss, I'm fine. I think killing one of them gave them other plans."

"That's my girl," Ljubica replied. "At least we are knowing what happened to Angel, now," Ljubica growled, moving through the door first.

"Angel was behind this?" Shaundi asked, shocked.

"He fucking used us to get his gang back," Ljubica told her. "And now I'm going to be killing him."

#

Ljubica kicked in the door to the room Tera was staying in, and drug the woman out of bed by her hair.

Then she threw her at the far wall.

"Worthless fucking bitch!" Ljubica screamed as the other woman hit the floor in a heap.

"What the hell you fucking psycho!" Tera screamed back, scrambling backwards until her back hit the corner.

Ljubica was already on top of her, and lifted her onto her feet. She slammed the microbiologist against the wall several times.

"You set us up!" Ljubica grated, barely keeping a leash on her rage. Betrayal was her biggest pet peeve and something she never, ever forgot. Or forgave. But she still needed this bitch alive.

"What are you talking about?" Tera asked, whites of her eyes showing. She was terrified out of her mind.

"Do you have any idea what those animals did to Shaundi!" Ljubica shouted, beginning to squeeze the other woman's throat. "What he tried to do to _me!_"

"Only... supposed to ki-kidnap," Tera managed, wheezing.

"Wrong, bitch!" Ljubica shrieked, and threw Tera into a dresser, shattering it. "She managed to kill one of them, so they beat only the shit out of her instead."

"I told you that you'd pay, you unstable bitch," Tera said hoarsely, grinning through bloody teeth. "Too bad it didn't work out better." Sweaty strands of hair hung in her face, and she rubbed her throat a moment before trying to get up.

Ljubica took a very slow, deep, and settling breath. As much as she hated this woman right now, she still needed her to save Johnny.

"You get _one_ more chance," Ljubica warned darkly, and kicked her in the stomach before she could stand. Tera's breath exploded from her, and she hit with wall with a cry. "After that, well Johnny's already dead, and you'll be joining him."

"You act like that's my first death threat," Tera said haughtily, picking herself up again, though much slower this time and gently holding a hand to her stomach.

"You don't understand," Ljubica replied, grinning wickedly. "You're going to literally join him in his cage, and I'm going to watch him fucking eat you."

That wiped the condescending look off Tera's face.

"Yes, now you are understanding how it will be," Ljubica told her, and then stormed out, rage trailing her like a spring thunderstorm.

#

"Kinzie, it's me," Ljubica said into her phone.

"_I know_," the hacker replied, sounding annoyed.

"Closely monitor any and all communications Tera makes, or tries, and lock her down tighter than a Gulag labor camp."

"_I'm on it, Boss,_" Kinzie replied.

"Thank you," Ljubica said, and hung up.

#

Ljubica gently knocked on Shaundi's door. Normally she just barged in, but with Shaundi you never knew what she was doing.

"Come in."

Ljubica entered the room, which was surprisingly clean and tidy, and shut the door behind her. Pierce was there with her, sitting in a chair next to the bed.

He was holding her hand.

"Um, how're you feeling?" Ljubica asked, suddenly uncomfortable. She tried hard not to look, but her gaze kept falling on their hands.

"Like a bunch of muscle bound idiots beat the shit out of me," Shaundi said angrily. Most of her face was a sickly greenish yellow.

Ljubica nodded. "Take as much time off as you need," she said, then made a hasty retreat.

Shaundi let out a sigh as soon as the Boss left.

"She really kissed you?" she asked.

Pierce nodded. "Yeah. Shoved me against a wall and shit, too. Passion, hunger, all that shit."

"We have to tell her," Shaundi urged gently, then smirked. "Before she tries to make love to you in front of a live studio audience."

"I think she knows, now," Pierce replied, laughing, and patted her hand. "You see how fast she got out of here? She saw my hand."

Shaundi smirked. "The possibility of facing my own death is a good reason to not tell her, too. She has a tendency to remove all challengers when she wants something."

Pierce chuckled. The Boss was definitely tenacious when it came to getting what she wanted.

"Did you like it?" Shaundi asked quietly. "The kiss."

"There's no good answer to this question, is there?" Pierced replied carefully.

"No, there isn't. Sorry."

"Shaundi, you're more than enough for me to handle, the Boss would eat me alive."

"So you think she's better than me..."

"Damn it, girl," Pierce grumbled. "The Boss is crazier than you'll ever be. And I don't want to be her bitch at Safeword. She's obviously the secret admirer that's been sending me things like that fuck machine, too. Talk about fucked up..."

Shaundi laughed, hard, and then winced at a sharp pain in her side. "Ow..."

"You're all the woman I need," Pierce said gently. "Okay? The Boss is cute, but girl, you're fine, and not completely crazy, too. And kissing her was uncomfortable, to say the least. I like yours much better."

Shaundi nodded, smiling faintly, pulling him in for one of those kisses he claimed to love so much. A pang of jealousy had already clawed it's way into the back of her mind, though, lodging itself deep within.

#

Ljubica's phone rang, and she sighed. It had been two days, and she still had no idea where Angel was hiding.

_Never enough me time,_ the mused, and picked up.

"What, Kinzie," she asked, sounding irritated.

"_Hey, you be nice to me,_" Kinzie replied. "_I have news about the Deckers._"

Now Ljubica's attention was hers. "Go on..." she urged.

"_Miller is calling the shots again,_" Kinzie informed her. "_He arrived in town two days after Killbane fled the city._"

"Lying, traitorous little shit," Ljubica growled. "Where is he hiding?"

"_Working on it,_" Kinzie griped. "_I can only do so much at once._"

Ljubica smirked, knowing that all too well. "You did good. Be keeping on it."

As Ljubica hung up, there was a knock at her door. She shook her head, grinning despite herself. She couldn't dwell on things if she was kept busy.

_No rest for the wicked,_ she thought. Out loud, she said, "Come in."

Pierce walked into the room, dressed to impress, and suddenly Ljubica wished she was wearing something sexier than a t-shirt and boxer shorts. At least she was showered and clean.

"What's up, Pierce?" Ljubica asked.

"Matt Miller is-..." he began.

"Back, I know," Ljubica interrupted. "Kinzie just told me."

"Seriously?" he whined. "I just told her that! What's with the women in your crew always stealing my thunder?"

"Kinzie has ways of finding things," Ljubica told him. "I doubt she didn't know by the time you told her."

"Whatever," Pierce replied, sounding sullen. He turned to leave.

"I would like to go see a movie," Ljubica blurted out, and immediately thought it sounded stupid. She also felt nervous. She was never nervous, never afraid of anything, and yet suddenly confronting Pierce, she was scared out of her mind. She was confident around everyone else, but Pierce Washington made her uncomfortable in the most wonderful way, a way she hadn't felt towards any man since coming to this country.

"Sure, Boss, what'cha wanna see?" he asked, turning around.

"Perhaps I am not being clear," she mused out loud. "I want... us... as in you and me, to see a movie. Together." She felt herself blushing and hated it, hated every bit of this, but decided after seeing him with Shaundi that it needed to be done once and for all, for better or for worse.

"And I said cool," Pierce retorted, still oblivious.

"No, Pierce, I am asking you out on a date," she said bluntly.

The other Saint blinked for a few seconds, trying to figure out if he heard the Boss correctly. He finally noticed how nervous she looked, and that took him aback. The Boss was never nervous. He'd never seen her scared of anything, and now she looked nearly terrified. Pierce, the man, kind of liked it. Pierce, the Saint, didn't like it at all. Pierce, Shaundi's lover, didn't want to piss either woman off, but especially not the one he was sleeping with.

"Boss," he began carefully, not wanting to give his girl away. "I don't know if that's a good idea. I mean, last time you tried to get me to go to Safeword-..."

Ljubica felt herself falter inside, and played it off with a cocky smirk. "No kinky shit, just a movie and perhaps dinner. Do you not find me attractive?"

"You're cute enough," he replied, really taking her in for the first time, as a woman and not the Boss. Her face was cute, the nose small but a little crooked from being broken, and even now she sported a small bit of tape over the bridge. He didn't really care for freckles, and a torn piercing had scabbed over above her left eye. Her eyes were big and bright, though, and the unusual purple color she'd had them changed too at Image As Designed was interesting, but she just wasn't fine. The Boss wasn't a super-hottie, though he had to admit she had a nicely fit body. Not as much junk in the trunk as he preferred, but the booty was nice. And she was no Viola up top, either. He knew guys probably found her attractive, even with all those scars, but she was the Boss, and not a sex object in his mind. He also didn't want to end up dead somewhere if he pissed her crazy ass off.

"But..." Ljubica prodded, drawing the word out. She was starting to feel crushed, and loathing it. He was stalling for time to answer.

Pierce sighed. "Sorry, Boss, you're just not my type."

Ljubica frowned. She had never really had feelings for a man since her tragic childhood, having spent her early teenage years in Yugoslavia during the civil wars of the early nineties. Rage began to flow through her, and she welcomed it. It burned through the feelings of rejection and resurgent shame like a bolt of lightning, and she kept pulling on it until there was nothing else.

"Get the fuck out of my room," she growled dangerously.

"Shit," Pierce snapped, realizing he was now in a very bad situation. He'd hurt her. Looking into her eyes was like staring into the heart of a volcano on the verge of erupting. "Boss, I'm sorry, I really am, I didn't mean to hurt y-..."

"I am not fucking hurt! Get the fuck out!"

"Boss, workplace romances just never go well and I thought it best if-..."

_But fucking Shaundi is fine,_ Ljubica thought bitterly.

She decided that Pierce Washington had one more chance to do what she said, or he was a dead man.

When she spoke next, the end of every word was snapped off like the bones of a tortured person's fingers.

"Get. The. Fuck. Out!" she spat, seething. "Get the fuck out of here before I feed you to a fucking _bear!_"

Pierce's eyes went wide, and he finally made a hasty retreat to the door, but paused for a moment. Sighing, he opened the door and walked out, shutting it softly behind him without another word.

Ljubica sank into her oversized, purple leather office chair, chest heaving and breathing a little shaky. "Well that is that, then," she said aloud. "Fuck men." After several long moments of silence, her phone rang again, and Kinzie's face had popped up on the high resolution display. After a few rings, she picked up. Business took precedence over personal shit.

"What is it, Kinzie?"

"_Tera needs a chemical compound,_" the hacker replied. "_And yes, both Oleg and I checked, it's legit._"

"Goody," Ljubica quipped. "Send me the address and I'll go pick it up."

"_Oleg wants to come with you,_" Kinzie said, not sounding entirely too happy.

"Of course, he is always welcome," Ljubica told her. "I will be picking him up soon."

#

Oleg and Ljubica stood outside the rear of an Ultor distribution warehouse, and it was nearly dark out. She whore her Mamba jacket against the cold. They chatted in Russian while waiting for full dark and a shift change. She enjoyed having someone to speak her mother tongue with.

"_I thought the Saints were part of Ultor, now?_" he asked. "_Yet, we are robbing them?_"

"_Like I said, we're done being corporate whores,_" Ljubica replied.

Oleg nodded. "_Good. The media-drugged masses have enough opiates._"

Ljubica smirked. "_So, poured your heart out to Kinzie, yet?_"

The big man shook his head. "_I don't think it's a good idea anymore._"

"_What?_" Ljubica asked, shocked. "_What happened to all that stuff about intellectual equals? Surely you are not afraid of the mousey one?_"

"_My heart still yearns, but I think being with her would be impossible,_" he replied. "_Physically._"

"_What?_" Ljubica laughed. "_Have you seen the toys she plays with, friend? She has her own Penetrator. And she wasn't happy about you coming along, she may think I fancy you."_

"_Have you said anything more to Pierce?_" Oleg asked, changing the subject, and Ljubica swore he was actually blushing. "_I believe that you wanted to make love with him in front of a live studio audience._"

Ljubica nodded, pangs of regret and hurt pulling at her, and she looked away. "_I don't want to talk about it right now. I'd rather we start fucking killing people._" She felt a heavy hand on her shoulder.

"_I don't think he could handle you anyway,_" the towering Russian said with a chuckle. "_You are very strong, too much for most. You remind me much of my dead wife, such fire and spirit. Being brave enough to try is worth something, no?_"

Ljubica smirked. "_Yeah, I guess it is._"

"_We've tested the cells from your zombie friend,_" Oleg said, changing subjects again. "_It's actually promising, the virus is impressive to say the least. His DNA is remarkably preserved._"

Ljubica felt her mood brighten. "_That is good news to hear!_" she gushed, suddenly giddy, and then looked to the sky. It sobered her often-sporadic mood immediately. "_It's dark, let's go._"

The pair brazenly approached the warehouse, throwing caution to the wind. Ljubica pulled one of her Shepherds to shoot the lock on the door, when Oleg motioned her away.

"_Please, allow me,_" he said, and lifted the locked loading door like it was nothing. "_Ladies first?_"

An alarm sounded, red lights flashing, and men could be heard shouting.

Ljubica laughed and rushed through the door, shooting an armed security guard as she ran by. Another three guards fell to her Shepherd before Oleg charged into the fight, smashing through a pillar and bringing a catwalk crashing to the concrete floor.

Ljubica noticed a man trying to sneak away, and his badge read 'Shift Supervisor.' Cackling, she shot two more guards on her way to the hallway he was ducking into. She did a little hop and slid on her butt across a conveyor belt, hit the ground and rolled, and then grabbed the balding, pudgy man before he could get to a door.

"Boo!" Ljubica shouted, pressing a pistol into his face. "Oleg!" she called. "What's that shit again?"

"Triethylglicertouluene C!" he bellowed back, hurling two security personnel into a stack of barrels.

"That shit," Ljubica growled. "Where is it?"

The man shakily pointed to a corner where a single black barrel sat by itself.

"I thank you," she whispered, then snapped his neck in a sudden, swift movement. She let his body fall to the floor and broke into a run for the chemical. "Comrade, to me!"

Oleg stormed his way to her, and without asking hefted the warning-encrusted barrel onto his shoulder.

"We are leaving, now, yes?" he asked.

Ljubica nodded, and they ran for the exit. As soon as they left the building they were blinded by the light from a Tornado hovering overheard. MASAKO was written on the tail in stark white block letters.

"Put it down!" a man's voice barked from the helicopter's external speaker. "Now!"

Ljubica gestured towards them, then lewdly at her crotch, before firing at the aircraft. Smoke started pouring from the engine, but her firearm clicked empty before she could finish it off.

"Shit," she spat, diving out of the way as the attack chopper's machine gun opened up. The area she had just been standing in was riddled with high caliber bullets. She popped in a fresh magazine, but was forced to dive for cover behind a Mule. "Oleg, get the chemical out of here. I will distract them!"

Oleg started to run off, and the Tornado wheeled to follow him. Ljubica leaned over the truck's hood, squeezing off several rounds into the tail boom, and it turned back to face her.

Another helicopter appeared in the skies, an older Vulture variant that Ultor's MASAKO units used to carry troops into the fight.

"And shit again," Ljubica growled. "I should have brought an Annihilator."

As the Vulture's side door slid open, Ljubica hurled a grenade into the troop area. The Tornado fired on her again, and this time a round grazed her shoulder. She grit her teeth against the searing pain, twisting around the backside of the cargo truck to keep out of the way of both helicopter's weapons.

There was an explosion, and Ljubica peered around her cover to see the Vulture heave violently before slamming into the Tornado. Both aircraft exploded into a ball of fire, wreckage crashing into the parking lot. A car too close added it's own explosion to the chaos.

Ljubica grinned, and ran as fast as she could towards Oleg and the waiting Criminal. She didn't want to get caught up in a fire fight when the Bears started showing up, and Oleg was too large to drive the truck himself.

#

Ljubica stared hard at Manny Rodriguez for several moments before speaking. They were alone in the parking garage.

"You handled things very well last week," she told him.

"Thanks, Boss," he replied, unsure of what else to really say.

"I need people like you," she went on. "Shaundi's going to be out of the game for awhile, are you ready to step up?"

"Hell yeah!" Manny all-but cheered.

"Good," she relied, smirking. "Don't screw up or you're a dead man."

Manny chuckled nervously.

"Find where Angel De La Meurte is hiding out," Ljubica told him. "He's dead already, but I need to inform his corpse of this."

After a moment, Ljubica grinned wickedly. "Double up security at 3 Count, we may have a retaliation there soon."

#

The drive to Angel's gym was mostly dull, but the wind in her hair felt nice. Ljubica parked her purple Neuron convertible across the street, and after getting out trailed her fingers along the thick black stripe just on the edge of the upper body. She popped the trunk and pulled her Annihilator out, then hefted a crate of RPGs out onto the street next to it. She donned a pair of purple-framed, black lensed aviator-style sunglasses and a bandana as a mask against the coming dust.

After taking a moment to aim, Ljubica fired at the front of the gym, grenade screaming through the air. The doors exploded inward from the impact, and debris flew outwards when it exploded.

"So therapeutic," Ljubica murmured, reloading. She fired another grenade into the front of the building, and people nearby could be heard screaming in panic.

"What the hell, lady!" a man shouted, and Ljubica turned her head to see a police officer.

"This doesn't concern you, pig, go the fuck away," she advised, and fired another rocket-propelled grenade into the building, this one higher up. It punched through the wall and exploded inside the building, sending shards of glass and plaster raining to the streets below.

Ljubica turned just as the officer was pulling his pistol, and she swung the Annihilator like a bat. His head snapped to one side, blood spraying, and he fell to the ground, dead on impact.

"Now, where was I," Ljubica asked herself, loading another round. She took aim at the upper floor and squeezed the trigger.

"This sure beats painting!" she cried gleefully, loading and firing another RPG at the now-hated building. Angel's gym was quickly becoming engulfed in flames, and with a groaning of metal and shattering of concrete, the front partially collapsed in on itself.

Emergency sirens could be heard in the distance, police, fire, and ambulance. Ljubica fired another grenade into the crumbling building, and with a low rumble, the front finally caved in completely. Something crashed deep inside the structure and the whole thing collapsed on itself, a dust and debris cloud rushing violently outward.

Satisfied, Ljubica tossed the Annihilator and ammo crate back into the trunk. She hopped over the driver's door and pushed the ignition button, and her Neuron purred to life.

Ljubica grinned, mashing the pedal to the floor and letting the clutch snap back. The car's tires squealed shrilly as her car bolted from the scene, her laughter dancing on the wind.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

Chapter 4

Ljubica waited impatiently, staring at the centrifuge as it spun, trying to will it to finish. She kept glancing at the time, or picking at something on her tank top that only she could see.

"How much longer?" she asked irritably.

"Five minutes less than the last time you asked," Tera replied dryly.

"And this one will work, yes?" she asked.

"All signs point to it," Oleg assured her.

"Shouldn't we test it?" the Boss asked. "A magic-fucking-8 ball could have told me that."

"Quit asking questions," Tera said scathingly. "It'll work."

Viola stood quietly in a corner. She'd asked Ljubica to watch the test, and the Russian woman knew exactly why. Kinzie had finally dug up Viola's reason for leaving the Syndicate.

All the same, nobody knew what Killbane had done with Kiki's body. Without a body, there could be no zombie, and without a zombie, there could be no cure.

The machine beeped, and stopped moving.

"It's done," Tera said, and Ljubica was already snatching up the vial.

"Come on Viola," Ljubica ordered. "It's time."

The other woman seemed to shake herself, coming back to the same world everyone else occupied, and nodded, following the Boss out to Kinzie's Criminal.

#

Ljubica watched Johnny for several moments, seemingly lost in thought. Finally, she said, "Do it, Oleg."

Oleg Kirrlov opened the door to Johnny's cell and closed it behind him. Johnny attacked immediately, but the much larger Saint grappled with him easily, and soon had him held against the wall. "I have him."

The rest of her lieutenants looked at one another as Ljubica opened the door, injector gun in hand. She stepped up to Johnny's zombie, again looking into it's cold, dead eyes to see if anyone was home. Shaking her head, she whispered something so softly that only Oleg managed to hear her, and even then he wasn't sure.

"Please work. I need you, Johnny..."

Ljubica injected Johnny with the serum, and stepped back.

Johnny's zombie groaned loudly, as it if it were in pain. It fought against Oleg, and the towering Russian had to redouble his effort to hold the thrashing creature.

Everyone watched in awe as the sallow, pale flesh began to smooth and darken, taking on a healthy, if pale color. Blood began to flow from several bullet wounds, and a stab wound in his stomach. Oleg let him go.

Johnny took a shuddering, shaky breath. "B-Boss?" he asked wearily, and then fell to the floor.


	5. Chapter 5

_Quick Note: Thank you to everyone that's been reading so far, big thanks to those that have Favorited or Alerted this story, and super big thanks to MDGeistMD02 and IronShounen for leaving reviews =)_

CHAPTER FIVE

"Johnny!" Ljubica cried, kneeling at his side. He was unconscious, pale, and his breathing was shallow. She tore her tank top into strips of makeshift bandages, doing what she could for the worst of his wounds. "Oleg, carry him. We'll take the Condor to the hospital!"

Oleg carried the smaller man easily, and Ljubica pulled her jacket on to cover herself up, pushing past Shaundi and Pierce on her way by.

"Meet us at the hospital!" Ljubica called over her shoulder, Viola and Kinzie at her heels.

#

Ljubica carefully worked the controls of her Condor, lifting off gently from the helipad. She flew it as a helicopter for several seconds, gaining speed and altitude before transitioning to jet mode. It was smooth, and the heavy transport soared through the skies over Steelport. Viola and Kinzie rode in back with Johnny.

"I can't believe this worked," the former Morningstar said quietly, and in awe.

"Of course it worked," Kinzie said haughtily. "They used my algorithms to test it."

Viola shook her head. "That's not what I meant. Bringing people back to life..."

"We don't have your sister's body," the ex-FBI agent said bluntly. "And she isn't a zombie."

"You just like to rain on everyone's parade, don't you?" Viola asked hotly.

"It's the truth," Kinzie shot back.

"Wash your own damned hair," Viola grumbled, crossing her arms and leaning back. "Wait, I never told anyone in the Saints..."

Kinzie smirked. "I can find anything out."

The aircraft started descending, slow and easy. As she neared the ground, Ljubica brought the STAG transport in low and fast, barely clearing highway signs. Motorists swerved and honked their horns, and she left several accidents in her wake.

Ljubica switched flight modes again, pulling back on the stick delicately to slow the Condor down as gently as possible. She spun the VTOL around and landed in the rear parking lot, cargo door facing the hospital.

Ljubica slapped her palm down onto button to open the cargo bay door, and then hopped down out of the cockpit. She waived over the paramedics who stood near the ambulance entrance.

"Emergency!" she shouted. "Someone is dying!"

#

"Thank you," Ljubica said to Viola, taking a bag of fast food. The other woman nodded and gently shut the door behind her.

Ljubica hadn't left Johnny's room for three days. She felt grimy despite the clean clothes Viola had brought her earlier, but had refused to leave until he woke up. Kinzie hadn't found Matt Miller, yet, and Manny was still searching for where Angel was holed up, so the Saints could deal without her for a few days.

"So you wake up, and then sleep for days," Ljubica said bitterly, setting aside her half-eaten burger. "This is shit in comparing to Freckle Bitch's."

Johnny didn't wake up to answer, and Ljubica sat in silence. Sighing, she got up and stood over the bed, taking his hand.

"You have to wake up, Johnny," Ljubica whispered. "It's not the same without you. I can do it on my own, but I really want my Johnny Gat around when I have to fight off my enemies. It has always been the two of us versus the world."

Johnny's eyes fluttered open. "Boss?" he asked, glancing down at his hand. Their hands.

Ljubica jerked her hand away quickly, cheeks burning, and hugged him.

"You're awake!" she gushed.

"And you stink," he retorted, but put an arm around her waist. "How long have I been out?"

Ljubica pulled away from him. "I'm not sure where I should be beginning."

"How 'bout with how I got in this hospital bed?" he asked.

Ljubica sighed. "Johnny, you've been dead for weeks."

Johnny laughed. "What are you talkin' about? Coma? You know as well as I do that ain't dead."

Ljubica didn't really want to relive those last moments, but she elaborated anyway. "Loren's men killed you, Shaundi and I heard it over the intercom. Pierce and I, we found you on Arapice Island a week ago."

"Where the fuck is that?" Johnny asked, sounding annoyed.

"Steelport," Ljubica replied. "There was an accident, I sort of caused a STAG airplane to crash and it released a gas Ultor made that turned everyone on the island into zombies..."

"Fuckin' zombies!" Johnny cried.

Ljubica nodded. "You tried to eat me, but we mounted a rescue and brought you back to headquarters, and then cured you."

"My own personal fuckin' Jesus Christ," Johnny quipped. "I guess I owe you my life. Again."

"We are always being there for each other," she said, shaking her head. "And besides, you died saving us..."

"So," Johnny began carefully. "I take it you brought the Syndicate down without me?"

Ljubica shook her head. "Mostly, but they're a tough nut to be breaking."

"Tough nut to crack," Johnny corrected, chuckling.

"Someone from Steelport I brought in, because he knew one of the gangs, double-crossed us," she told him. "And I let my greed get in the way and let another gang's leader live in exchange for more wealth, and now he's back. And then I let Killbane escape in order to save Shaundi and Viola."

"Viola?" Johnny asked angrily. "That bitch was with that french asshole!

"She left them and helped us," Ljubica replied. "I think you will like her."

"Her bitch sister?" Johnny asked.

Ljubica shook her head. "She won't talk about it, but I had Kinzie dig it up. Killbane killed her, and that's why she left the Syndicate."

"You've mentioned him twice, who the fuck is that?"

"He was leader of one of the gangs, the Luchadores, and then took over the Syndicate after Loren's death."

Johnny nodded. "If you've banged Viola, please, don't leave out any details."

Ljubica laughed. "Fuck you, Johnny."

"What, I know how you swing," Johnny shot back. "And if you say she's okay, then she's okay."

"I like men, too!" she insisted.

"You ain't been with one guy since I've known you," Johnny retorted. "And you never missed a trip to the flop."

Ljubica felt herself stiffening, and looked away. She tried to take it back, but it was too late, and she saw concern in his eyes.

"Hey, Boss, look, I didn't mean to..." Johnny said, trailing off.

Ljubica shook her head. "There are things you don't know that I do not wish to speak of right now." When she said it, it surprised her. It was more than she'd ever told anyone about herself.

"Fuck, you finally tried it with Pierce, didn't you. That asshole..."

Ljubica was silent for a moment, but nodded. "I either fucked up badly or he just thinks I'm hideous," she admitted.

"Boss, you ain't hideous, trust me," Johnny told her, and it sounded like he actually meant it.

Ljubica shook her head, and said softly, "They made sure of it."

"Fuck that," Johnny retorted. "Boss, a few scars on your face don't make you ugly. But they do help with the scary."

Ljubica scoffed. "I am not so scary or crazy as everyone thinks."

"Fuck yeah you are!" Johnny cried. "Why do you think we get along so well?"

Ljubica chuckled. "And you and I are friends, Johnny. What the fuck can I expect from anyone else? Besides, I think he and Shaundi are together."

"No shit?" he asked, disbelief thick in his voice.

Ljubica nodded. "Shaundi's beautiful, Johnny, I can't comp-..."

"Let them do their thing," Johnny interrupted, waiving a hand dismissively. "Pierce don't deserve you anyway."

Ljubica felt herself smiling despite where her mood had been headed. "Thank you."

"You're damned welcome," Johnny grumbled. "Why are you so self-conscious over that whiny bitch anyway? The Boss I remember took any woman she wanted to bed and made it look like I had zero game. Maybe you _are_ a fuckin' lesbian." After a moment, he added quickly, "Not that there's anything wrong with that."

Ljubica shrugged, but said nothing. Old memories were starting to speak to her, and she did her best to ignore them.

"Chin up, you hard-ass bitch," Johnny growled good-naturedly. "Maybe you and this Viola chick can hook up. Go get laid or somethin' already."

Ljubica grinned. "Quit fantasizing out loud, Johnny Gat."

"I just wanna be there when it happens," he shot back. "Although, if you ever need me to knock one out for you, I suppose I can take one for the team."

Ljubica laughed, still grinning, and eyes glittering. It felt really good, how easily they fell back into their old routine.

"I didn't realize how much I missed you," she said, punching his arm lightly. "Missed this. I don't really have anyone to talk to."

Johnny grinned. "You poor thing. As soon as I get out of this bed I'll make sure you get your daily dose of Johnny Gat, promise."

"Deal," Ljubica responded. "I better call Shaundi and Pierce, tell them you're okay."

Johnny nodded, closing his eyes to rest. "Sure."

Smiling, Ljubica stepped out into the hallway, dialing Shaundi's phone. She really didn't want to talk to Pierce.

"Shaundi, he's awake," Ljubica said as the other woman picked up. "Get your ass down here, he wants to see his friends. And Pierce, too."

"We'll be right there, Boss," Shaundi replied, and hung up.

Viola walked up as Ljubica was putting her phone away.

"So he woke up?" Viola asked.

Ljubica nodded, grinning. "It worked, it really worked!"

"Can I..." the other woman began.

"See him? Of course," Ljubica finished for her.

Viola shook her head. "No, I wanted to ask if I could tell you something..."

"Sure, what's up?" Ljubica asked.

Viola looked away. "This is really selfish..."

"Spit it out already," Ljubica told her.

"I want to find my sister's body and..."

Shit, Ljubica thought. So Eddie did kill Kiki.

"Well, you know..."

Ljubica nodded. "I understand, but where is she buried?"

Viola looked more sullen than usual. "I don't know..."

"Sweetie, without a body..."

"Eddie broke her fucking neck from behind!" Viola cried.

"Viola," Ljubica said gently. "If we brought her back, she might just die again... Johnny almost did."

"You're right," Viola said, sounding defeated. "I'm sorry for being so stupid."

Ljubica shook her head. "If we find her, we'll try. Promise."

Viola nodded. "Thank you."

Shaundi and Pierce were hurrying down the hallway, and Ljubica moved out of the way of the door before following them inside.

"Johnny!" Shaundi squealed, hugging him fiercely.

"Yo, Gat," Pierce said casually.

"Be gentle!" Johnny urged, pushing Shaundi away by her hips.

Something inside Ljubica stirred at seeing Shaundi hug Johnny like that, but seeing him push her away made it disappear so quickly she wasn't even sure it was there to begin with.

"You're not off the hook," Shaundi warned Viola.

Viola rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

"She wasn't in the cockpit when I was shot," Johnny said. "If the Boss says she's okay, then she's okay by me, all right?"

Ljubica beamed. Shaundi grumbled something under her breath, but nodded. Pierce just shrugged.

"Now, I need my beauty sleep," Johnny announced. "Everyone out, except you, Pierce. I need to ask you something."

Shaundi and Viola filed out the door, Pierce stood by the head of the bed, and Ljubica stood near the foot of the bed.

"That means you, too, Boss," Johnny added. "I need to talk to my boy Pierce alone about something."

Ljubica nodded, and headed for the door. _His boy?_ Ljubica asked herself? What the fuck is Johnny going to talk to him about. _Shit._

As soon as Ljubica closed the door, something heavy hit the inside of it.

"What the fuck did you do!" Johnny shouted. One of his bed pillows lay on the floor at the base of the door.

"Huh?" Pierce asked, glad the other man had missed. He didn't want to explain getting his ass kicked by a bed-ridden person.

"The Boss!" Johnny You fucked her head up somehow you fuckin' asshole!"

"Man, she asked me to go to Safeword and shit!" Pierce whined.

"I don't care if she asked you to cut off your nuts and eat them," Johnny growled dangerously. "However you let her down, it was the wrong fuckin' way!"

"She's a big girl and can take care of herself," Pierce shot back.

"Did you know that not once since I've known her have I ever seen her with a guy?" Johnny asked. "I thought she was a lesbian for years until she told me about you."

"How's that my problem?" Pierce retorted.

Johnny shook his head. "If you'd seen that look on her face, you'd be pissed off, too. What the hell, man."

"Look on her face?" Pierce whined. "She went crazy and threatened to feed me to a bear!"

Johnny opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He beckoned Pierce closer. "My voice," he whispered harshly.

Pierce leaned in, and Johnny head butt him.

"Ow, mother fucker!" Pierce cried, hands going to his face. He wasn't bleeding, and his pride hurt more than his face.

"I want you and Shaundi to be happy," Johnny said with a grin. "Just don't be such a dumb ass where the Boss is concerned. Feel me?"

"Yeah, I feel you," Pierce said with a frown. He hurried out of the room, and stopped when he saw Ljubica across the hall. "What the fuck did you say to him?"

"I am always telling Johnny everything," Ljubica informed him, shrugging. "He picked up on something bothering me, he has a quick wit."

"And his head is hard, too," Pierce grumbled, walking off to find Shaundi, and his ride.

Ljubica found herself smiling again. It was good to have Jonny back.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

"I wanna go home, Boss," Johnny said from bed. "I can only watch so many _Bobby and Ambe_r reruns!"

Ljubica looked up from her magazine, Firearms Illustrated. "Bullshit, you can never be watching too much of that show! And we aren't heading back to Stilwater until we finish up with the Syndicate here in Steelport."

"You know what I mean," Johnny grumbled. "I'm sick of hospital food, I'm sick of hospital clothes, and I'm sick of not havin' a gun."

Ljubica grinned, and tossed a small duffel bag onto the bed. "Enjoy."

Johnny tore the bag open, rifling through it like a kid at Christmas. Inside was a basic change of clothes and a Tek-Z submachine gun. "Aw, Boss, you do care!"

"You know it," Ljubica quipped. "Get dressed, we have shit to be doing."

#

Ljubica recalled the paper target back to her. She set her Shepherd down and examined the quarter-inch grouping, while Johnny's SMG rattled from the next lane over.

"I am still in shape," she said, pleased. "Good."

"What!" Johnny called, setting his Tek-Z down on the bench.

"I said I can outshoot you any day of the week!" Ljubica quipped, grinning.

"Blah blah blah," Johnny replied, starting to load a magazine with bullets. With a groan, he dropped the box, bullets rolling across the table, and he fell against it with a wince. He reached over and held his left side, and sweat beaded on his brow.

"Shit!" Ljubica snapped, and pulled off her ear protection as she rushed over to him.

Johnny tried waiving her off. "I'm fine. Just… stich in my side."

Ljubica noticed his eyes were bloodshot, and his skin was very pale, and cool to the touch. "Something's wrong."

Johnny shook his head. "Nothin's... fuckin'... wrong," he managed. "My stomach... I feel like I haven't eaten in weeks."

Ljubica felt herself go cold, and took a step back. "Fuck, Johnny..." she murmured, shaking her head.

"What's happenin' to me?" he grated, voice cracking. "Everything hurts, and I'm starvin'!"

Before Ljubica could answer, Johnny grabbed her wrist and jerked her close to him, inhaling deeply at the crook of her neck. He released a shuddering breath. "Fuck, you smell delicious, Boss..."

Ljubica kneed Johnny in the groin and shoved him away, sprinting for the doors. Johnny growled low in his throat, more animal than human, and launched himself at her. He caught Ljubica by the hair and wrenched her around, teeth gnashing. Terror surged through her at being handled like that, and it was all she could do to keep him from tearing her throat out.

"Johnny!" Ljubica screamed, heart pounding. "Fight it!"

The doors to the firing range burst open as Oleg crashed through them, Kinzie close behind with an injection gun. The hulking Saint grabbed Ljubica by an arm and tossed her away like she weighed nothing.

"Face me instead, friend!" Oleg bellowed, grappling with Johnny and shoving him back against the wall.

Ljubica picked herself up as Kinzie was hitting Johnny with the gun. She jogged over to them, doing her best to shove down her fear. She felt their hands clawed into her hair again, twisting and pulling her head about.

Ljubica swallowed. "What the fuck happened." She was proud of the steady, authoritative tone she coaxed from herself.

"The cure isn't permanent," Kinzie explained. "We just figured it out and came looking for you."

"You were just in time," Ljubica retorted. "Thank you."

"Get off me, asshole!" Johnny growled, struggling, and Oleg looked to Ljubica while Johnny kept ranting. "What the fuck, Boss!"

Ljubica nodded, and the juggernaut let him go.

"Johnny, you tried to eat me," Ljubica said gently.

"Fuck," Johnny groaned. "I don't remember anything. I hurt, and then nothing. Thanks big guy."

"Are you okay, now?" Ljubica asked, searching his face intently. Kinzie and Oleg moved to stand to the side.

Johnny nodded. "Yeah, Boss, I'm good."

"Thank you, Kinzie, Oleg," Ljubica said. "Make batches to keep in all the cribs, and something small he can keep on him."

"It will be done," Oleg said, and ushered Kinzie out.

Johnny tried to touch Ljubica's arm, and she flinched away. "Fuck, Boss, I'm not gonna eat ya!"

Ljubica closed her eyes for a moment, willing her demons away, then shook her head. "It's my problem, it's not you."

Ljubica immediately regretted her choice of words. She was getting sloppy.

"Boss?" Johnny asked, concerned. Ideas started rattling around in his head about why she didn't like to be touched all of the sudden, and none of them were exactly what he'd call 'pleasant.'

"I don't want to talk about it," she said, voice thick with warning. She walked over to the firing lane and started cleaning her pistol.

Johnny found himself gazing at her for a moment, the graceful curve of her neck, the gentle swell of her hips, how her as-...

Johnny shook his head. "What the fuck was that," he muttered. Definitely poor timing. Louder, he asked, "You wanna hit up the flop, take your mind off it?"

"Shaundi is having plans for us tonight," Ljubica told him. "We should be getting cleaned up."

#

Ljubica lounged on the couch in the main living area, head gently bobbing to the throbbing hip hop music pounding through the sound system. She mostly just watched everyone, people watching was one of her greatest guilty pleasures outside of watching _Bobby and Amber_ any time she got the chance. The party had been Shaundi's idea, celebrating Johnny's return. Seeing how her Lieutenants seemed to pair up was rather amusing.

Oleg and Kinzie sat in a corner, and the computer expert was animatedly discussing something that only he would understand anyway. Oleg looked positively smitten.

Shaundi and Pierce sat very close to one another in a corner, and she was smiling brightly at whatever it was they were talking about. Ljubica liked seeing the other woman smile more, she'd been too angry lately. She found she didn't even wish it was herself over there smiling.

Manny was chatting up another Saint she didn't recognize, a pretty dark-skinned black girl about his age, hair in long dreads laced with purple thread, and she seemed to enjoy his company.

What surprised her was seeing Zimos and Viola talking. There had been no love lost between the DeWynter sisters and Steelport's oldest pimp, and Ljubica found herself leaning forward to try and make out their conversation. She liked Zimos, for a pimp. He'd agreed to many concessions for his girls, including letting them leave if that's what they wanted. She also made sure that Viola kept the benefits packages rolling, especially for the girls imported from overseas.

"_I don't know why you won't just tell me,_" Zimos sang.

Viola took a sip of her drink, and after a moment, nodded. "It was me."

"_You could have just ignored my calls,_" Zimos sang somberly. "_No need for butt plugs and ball gags, girl._"

Viola closed her eyes for a moment. "It was Kiki's idea, and I went with it. I'm sorry, Z."

"_You always did defer to her authority,_" Zimos retorted.

"She was born first, and always treated me like a little sister," Viola explained. "She was also the strongest, and very protective."

"_Well, you know,_" Zimos began, trailing fingertips along her forearm. "_We can always let bygones be bygones._"

Even in the dim light Ljubica could see Viola blushing, and the woman nodded. "I'd like that."

A stripper dressed up as an angel got Ljubica's attention, moving her body sinuously in front of her, and blocking her vision. Smirking, Ljubica sat back to enjoy the show, and the woman smiled seductively.

_Probably another fangirl wanting to get laid by a celebrity,_ Ljubica thought, realizing she almost felt bitter about it. _Where the hell is Johnny anyway?_

"Don't mind me," Johnny said, sitting down next to her. "By all means, do whatever comes to mind."

"Pig," Ljubica said, smirking, but continued watching the stripper. She took a drink from her beer.

"Oink oink," Johnny shot back, taking a drink from his. "I was going to say we were the only two poor lonely saps in this place, but it seems you've got yourself covered."

"I'm probably not going to be bedding her," Ljubica retorted, and the stripper pouted, muttering something under her breath as she walked off. "Well shit, I only said probably..."

Johnny laughed, loud and brash. "Sorry, Boss."

"Always another one like her," Ljubica told him, sounding bored, and as if by prophecy a woman dressed as a devil moved in to replace the previous one. Her skin was tanned, hair dark and long, and there was an exotic set to her features.

"See?" Ljubica said with a chuckle. She waived at the bar with two fingers, and a Saint came over with two beers.

Ljubica pulled a knife from her ankle and popped the lids off both bottles, handing one to Johnny.

Johnny took the beer with a grin. "Thanks, Boss. Now, just pretend I'm not here."

Ljubica laughed lightly. "Sorry, the last party we threw, the hos weren't hos and tried to kill everyone. Pierce almost died twice."

"I'm a lover, not a fighter," the stripper purred, trying to sit in her lap.

"I just bet you are, sweetie," Ljubica said with a smirk, pushing her away. "Go play with someone else."

Frowning, the woman started giving Johnny a lap dance instead, casting a glance over her shoulder. She looked angry, as if she could bore through Ljubica with the heat of her gaze.

Ljubica just raised her bottle, giving the woman a nod. "Have fun, Johnny."

Ljubica found herself looking anywhere but at what was happening next to her. Oleg and Kinzie were already gone, and she couldn't help but grin at the thought of those two together.

"Well played, comrade," she murmured, taking a drink. She wasn't completely drunk, but her head was definitely starting to spin.

Shaundi and Pierce headed for the elevator, Pierce pulling Shaundi along by the hand. Ljubica felt a pang of jealousy, even resentment, and squashed it down.

_Be happy for them,_ she told herself sternly.

Viola was gone, but Zimos was still sitting on the couch, arms out to the side and legs spread apart. He looked rather comfortable, and Ljubica got up and went to sit next to him. Things were getting a bit too heated next to her, though she would never admit it out loud.

"The Big Z couldn't seal the deal?" she asked.

"_You offerin' to take her place?_" Zimos sang back, expression unreadable behind his gaudy sunglasses.

Ljubica played it off with a chuckle. "I don't think I am wanting any part of the shit you're probably into."

"_Oh, don't knock it 'til you try it, baby._"

"Well, if you want to be fucked in the ass again..." Ljubica began, cracking a wry smile. Zimos was the only person she let call her 'baby.'

Viola walked up then, and frowned. She opened her mouth, a scathing remark likely forthcoming.

"Give her one for me, Z," Ljubica said, getting up and putting a hand on the woman's shoulder. "But let me know if you are needing help with this one."

Satisfied at the deep crimson of the her Lieutenant's cheeks and the snapping shut of her jaw, Ljubica let her fingertips slide down Viola's shoulder and sauntered back over to where Johnny was now definitely fooling around with the stripper.

_Whore,_ Ljubica thought venomously, and it surprised her. But she couldn't figure out which one of them she was feeling jealous over. So she took another drink and set the empty bottle aside, motioning for another from the bar.

Halfway through that bottle, Johnny and the stripper left the party. Ljubica found herself glowering at their backs, but when Johnny looked back at her, she just raised the bottle and nodded.

_I will figure it out when my head is more clear_, she decided. _But does he already have to be man-whoring around?_

Ljubica noticed that even Manny and his lady friend were gone. Sighing, she finished her beer, feeling slightly lonely. She was used to it, she had to be in her position.

"Aww, looks like you're all alone, now, honey," the angel said with a mocking pout, hips swaying as she returned. "But you don't have to be."

Ljubica smirked, but beckoned her over. "Vy budete delat' segodnja vecherom, krasavica." _You'll do tonight, beautiful._

"Ooh, that sounded sexy," the woman purred, straddling Ljubica's lap and resting her hands around her neck.

Ljubica sighed softly, tilting her head to the side as the nameless woman nuzzled her neck.

"Take me tonight," the woman whispered huskily. Her breath was hot, and against Ljubica's ear it sent a delightful shiver down her spine.

"Mmmh, ochen horosho, malyshka," Ljubica murmured, letting her body respond to the woman's attentions. _Mmmh, very good, baby._

Ljubica made to get up, and when the stripper moved, she led her towards the bedroom, index finger hooked beneath the woman's delicate choker.

#

Ljubica put her hair up into a loose bun, pushing a pair of violet hair sticks in to keep it all in place. She still didn't feel entirely clean after the previous night, but a long bath was the best she could do. She'd enjoyed herself at the time, but such rendezvous always left her feeling empty the next day. Still, she'd played with the girl until well into the morning and then slept all day.

After spending time to apply her understated makeup, she added a quick dash of purple lip gloss that matched her tank top, grabbed her Mamba jacket from the back of a chair, and headed for the elevator. She'd had a text message from Manny saying he had information, but that it wasn't urgent, yet.

"Manny, what do you have?" Ljubica asked as she stepped into the parking garage.

Manny lay on his back on a flat, wooden board, wheeling himself out from under her Neuron. His face had a grease smear on it. "I sent someone to verify, but I think I found where Angel is hiding."

"Fuck yes!" Ljubica cheered. "I knew I was having the right man for the job."

Manny beamed. "There's a cargo ship moored at a dock in Salander, near Kinzie's, and I had her dig up the manifest. It has a lot of gym equipment on board."

"Good work," Ljubica said, nodding. "I'm impressed, Manny."

And she was impressed, especially with how he gave Kinzie credit for the manifest. Many would have just taken the credit for themselves.

"I'm almost done here, if you want to take her out," Manny said. "Just need to add some oil and put her back on the ground. You work your vehicles pretty hard, Boss."

"I'm taking the Phantom tonight," she informed him. "Just as soon as Johnny is geting his ass down here."

The elevator doors were already opening. "What about my ass?" Johnny asked.

Manny wheeled himself back under the car, chuckling.

"Speaking of ass, how was your night?" Ljubica asked sardonically.

"How was _yours,_" Johnny shot back. "I saw your little _angel_ leaving your room this morning."

There was a loud clattering under the car, as if Manny had dropped a tool.

Ljubica smirked, glancing briefly at her car. "Pleasurable, yet empty. She was a very skilled little whore, at least."

Johnny laughed. "Girls don't walk that funny even after _I'm_ done with 'em."

Ljubica rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Johnny."

Ljubica put a leg over her motorcycle and thumbed the starter. The X2's engine came to life easily, idling with it's characteristic eerie, digital-sounding engine.

"Do I make a joke about ridin' you from behind, or bitch about ridin' behind a bitch?" Johnny asked.

"Just get the fuck on," Ljubica retorted. She felt his fingertips tentatively brush her bare waist before he put his arms around her middle, lacing his fingers against her tummy.

"Ready," he said.

Ljubica twisted the throttle around, and the Phantom wailed out of the parking garage and into the night. They narrowly avoided hitting a garbage truck, and Ljubica leaned over hard to merge into the flow of traffic around Safeword. She wove her way through traffic, grinning whenever people honked at her lane-splitting antics. As they hit the highway, she opened up the throttle completely, and the X2 screamed down the concrete slab as she shifted up through the gears.

#

"Definitely Luchadores," Ljubica murmured, watching the boat through binoculars. Luchadores loaded crates and pallets of boxes and barrels onto the deck.

"So, kill every asshole in green, right?" Johnny asked from her side.

Ljubica nodded, then went back to the binoculars. She finally spotted him, directing his men on where to put the cargo.

Angel was onboard the ship.

"That mother fucker Angel is here!" Ljubica spat, and tossed the binoculars aside. "He's my kill, Johnny, you got that?"

"Boss, I don't even know who the fuck that is," he replied.

"He's wearing a purple and gold mask," Ljubica growled. "Let's go."

#

Ljubica pulled her 45 Shepherd and started shooting as soon as they neared the ship. Two Luchadores fell almost immediately, and Johnny led off with a molotov cocktail. The spray of fire ignited two crates and the four men carrying them, and screams of pain and alarm filled the night.

"We're coming for you Angel!" Ljubica shouted, and shot another of his gang in the face, blood and other things glutting violently out the back of his head. She and Johnny fought their way up the gangway, and she reloaded her pistol while he fired his Tek-Z over her shoulder.

_This is how things are meant to be,_ she thought, realizing she was happy. _Just me and Johnny on a glorious killing spree._

Angel dove for cover behind a crate, and Ljubica tossed a grenade behind it. When it exploded, chunks of wood and nails flew in all directions, but Angel wasn't there. He'd moved to hide behind another crate while out of view.

Ljubica fired several times at him, two shots going wide and hitting a pair of barrels. Fuel oil began gushing out of them, splashing across the deck and dumping over the side.

Johnny focused on keeping the Luchadores' off the Boss, spraying bursts of lead at all things green that he saw. He knocked down one man with each squeeze of the trigger, and took a moment to slap a fresh magazine home.

"I got these assholes, Boss!" he called, laughing maniacally. "You get your guy!"

Ljubica threw another grenade, and Angel dove for cover again.

But this time his foot slid on the slippery deck, and he fell over the side.

Ljubica rushed over to the railing, and could see Angel treading water below. As the smell of fuel washed over her, she had an idea, and after holstering her pistol, threw a molotov, aiming for the side of the ship just before the water.

As the glass shattered, the surface of the water burst into flames, but Angel wasn't caught in them.

"Fucking shit!" Ljubica spat, and then a Luchadore tackled her from behind.

They both fell over the side.

"Boss!" Johnny cried, and rammed the butt of his SMG into the face of the man he'd been grappling with. He ran across the deck and slid to a halt at the railing.

Ljubica hit the water hard, the shock of frigid cold making her gasp. She coughed as she breathed in the salty water, and then felt herself being pushed under again. Twisting her body, she grabbed the head of the gang member that had hit her and wrenched it around.

The popping of his neck felt good in her hands.

Johnny breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Ljubica's head breach the surface, spluttering and coughing.

Ljubica looked around, and saw Angel swimming away. She swam after him, the heat of the flames beating at her, but she ignored them.

Angel was not escaping.

Ljubica grabbed Angel by the ankle and jerked him back through the water. Using both hands, she snapped the bone, and the sound of him crying out in agony was utterly satisfying.

But Ljubica wanted more.

Ljubica hit him, feeling his lips split under her fist, while feeling her own flesh tear against his teeth. She welcomed the stinging pain, letting it mix with her rage of his betrayal, of what he had tried to do to her, to Shaundi, and she hit him again.

"Worthless mother fucker, what did I tell you!" Ljubica screamed in his face. "I told you I'd be killing your bitch ass!"

A sharp pain stabbed into her side, and Ljubica realized she'd just been stabbed under the water. Angel grinned darkly, and she finally noticed her hair was down around her shoulders and plastered to her scalp. He'd stabbed her with one of her own hair sticks.

"Piece of shit!" Ljubica grated, before realizing she'd just broken his wrist. She was starting to run on auto pilot, but then a memory popped into her head, bringing her back.

'_I'm going to drown you in a fucking lake of fire,_' she had said.

Grinning, ignoring the pain in her side, Ljubica lunged forward and spun Angel around, putting him into a headlock. He struggled, but had no leverage to work with, and every movement had to be lashing at him with pain as his broken bones ground together.

"Remember what I told you?" Ljubica cooed, almost lovingly. She was in her happy place, now, a place where she was comfortable and free and no one could ever hurt her.

"Go to hell you crazy bitch!" Angel growled.

"I get that a lot," Ljubica retorted. "But what I told you was that I will be drowning you in a fucking lake of fire."

Ljubica let that settle in for a moment. The heat of the flames was oppressive, making it hard to breathe. The water was bitterly cold.

"That's right," Ljubica told him, voice gentle and soft. "We are having water, we are having fire. So..."

Ljubica shoved him under the water. Angel's struggles renewed, harder than ever, but she managed to hold him under until he finally went still. It took a couple minutes before he stopped struggling completely, and when he did, Ljubica pulled off his mask and shoved it into a pocket.

Ljubica pulled her Shepherd, and put a bullet in his head to be sure. The gunshot cracked across the water, and she let Angel De La Meurte's body slip beneath the water a final time.

"Blood in, blood out, you stupid bag of shit."


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

Ljubica tossed Angel's mask to Shaundi. "It is done."

"You let him fucking go!" Shaundi cried. "Fuck Lucha Libre humiliation, he needs to-…"

"He's dead, Shaundi," Ljubica interrupted. "Promise."

Shaundi tossed the mask in the trash, then spit on it.

Ljubica nodded, and headed for her room. She was limping noticeably.

"Boss?" Shaundi asked, just before Ljubica closed the door.

"What is it?" Ljubica replied. She wanted a bath, badly. She smelled like old seafood, fuel, and rotting seaweed.

"Pierce told me about what happened on the island," Shaundi said quickly. "I just wanted to say that we-..."

"Be good to him, okay?" Ljubica said, and she realized she meant it. She wanted Pierce to be happy, and if that was with Shaundi, then so be it.

Shaundi nodded. "Yeah, sure. Of course."

When the door closed, Shaundi let out a huge sigh of relief. She got to live another day.

#

"Find him, Kinzie!" Ljubica growled, and hung up. She tossed her phone onto her desk and collapsed back into her chair.

"Boss, relax," Johnny advised, sitting on the corner of the desk. "You told me this Kinzie chick is the best, right?"

"She beat Matt before," Ljubica replied.

"Let her work, then," Johnny urged.

Ljubica's phone rang, and Kinzie's face appeared on the screen. She picked it up. "Go, Kinzie."

"_I didn't find Miller's-..._" Kinzie began.

"Why the fuck are you calling, then?" Ljubica asked harshly, interrupting.

"_Because I found out where the Decker's keep his safe house location._"

Ljubica paused for a moment before saying, "Go on."

"_In one of their few remaining strongholds,_" Kinzie went on, "_there's an old computer with absolutely zero network connections. It stores a map of all his safe house locations._"

"That's my girl!" Ljubica said happily. "Send me the location."

"Boss, you're still hurt," Johnny said carefully. The Boss didn't like anyone implying she was weak.

"I'm fine," Ljubica insisted. Her side still burned whenever she moved, but it was bearable.

"And if you start bleeding out in some warehouse somewhere with a dozen goons trying to kill you?" Johnny asked.

"That's why you'll be there, watching my back," Ljubica replied with a grin.

#

Ljubica fired her purple Shepherd several times at the Decker on the catwalk above, shattering the skylight above him before finally scoring two hits to his chest. Blood blossomed across the teen's torso as glass rained down like falling stars in the faint moonlight, and he fell back against the railing, dead. She ducked behind a crate as bullets flew out of the darkness of the surrounding warehouse. She heard Johnny's Tek-Z rattling far away; they'd been separated shortly after the firefight began.

"Shaundi," the Boss cried into her earpiece, accent thickening in her distress. "I need lights!"

The Saint Lieutenant's voice crackled over the Decker-disrupted, struggling cell coverage. "_I'm st-... look-.. ng, Boss!_"

Cursing, Ljubica reloaded, quickly slamming a full magazine into her pistol. She carefully peered around the crate, eyes straining into the darkness for any sign of movement. Annoyed, she huffed, blowing a loose tress of hair out of her face.

The overhead lights erupted into dazzling brilliance, as harsh and glaring as the old warehouse was rundown and dingy. Ljubica blinked several times, and then spun and fired twice into the body of a Decker trying to sneak up on her.

"Bitch," she spat.

Gunfire erupted all around the Saints' leader, a storm of lead punching holes into the crate next to Ljubica's head and around her body. She lobbed a grenade behind a pile of boxes, screams of shock sounding as it landed. But as blue and black clad teenagers leapt for their lives, it exploded, shrapnel rending their bodies before they even hit the ground.

"Nice work, Shaundi," Ljubica quipped, keeping her head low. She had a little breathing room, now. "Kinzie, how are things going on your end?"

"_-... need m-... time, just because I hav-... ...-ysical access doesn't m-... it's easy, okay_?" the Saints' tech wizard replied tersely.

"Understood. Oleg, keep her safe."

"_I am, …-f course,_" the Saints' larger Russian muttered. Then there was a heavy-sounding crash from his end of the conversation.

Ljubica grinned, firing over the crate at a Decker advancing on her position. A bullet hit him in the gut, doubling him over with a sharp cry. "Anyone else!" she jeered.

The Deckers returned fire, their submachine guns spraying a curtain of bullets at her.

"_I'm done_!" Kinzie's voice sang.

"Saints, we are leaving!" Ljubica ordered, tossing a grenade at the remaining group of Decker's. She was a big fan of grenades, lamenting that it was her last one. As it exploded, a girl in a bright blue rah-rah skirt teleported out of the way of the blast. "Shit. Everybody is to be vacating the main warehouse, now!"

The Decker girl paused for a moment to open up with her twin D4TH Blossoms.

Ljubica threw herself to the side, narrowly avoiding the hail of gunfire, but by the time she trained her own weapon on the enemy, the girl was rollerblading off, teleporting around seemingly at random. Ljubica fired repeatedly, but every time she squeezed the trigger their Specialist was somewhere else.

She heard a British woman whisper in her ear. "You play rough, love."

Ljubica turned just as a dangerous-looking, tech-hammer came crashing down at her feet. The blast wave sent her smashing through a crate, and pain flared as a large chunk of wood pierced her jacket and shredded her purple tank top, along with the flesh across the left of her back. She cried out.

"_Boss?_" Shaundi asked.

Ljubica forced herself to get up, head still a little woozy from the concussive force she'd just endured. "Get out of here, Shaundi. I have something to be taking care of."

The Decker girl's hammer crashed down again, and Ljubica shattered another crate on her way through it.

"_Boss!_" Shaundi screamed, voice shrill with worry.

Ljubica slowly got to her feet again, unsure if she was seeing double or if the cursed Decker elite was teleporting. "Fuck it," she said and fired at both images, emptying her pistol and hitting nothing but air.

"Too slow," the other woman said from behind, striking the ground again and flinging Ljubica into a nearby wall. She fell to the ground with a dull thud, groaning.

Ljubica fought to remain conscious, forcing herself up onto her hands and knees. She could hear the soft sound of wheels rolling across the concrete floor of the warehouse, and then she saw it, barely in focus, but it looked like the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch itself, and she let herself collapse towards the electric grenade one of the dead Deckers must have dropped earlier.

"Ooh, I'm going to enjoy this, deary," the girl said as she neared.

"Not as much as me, bitch," Ljubica growled. She heaved herself over onto her back and flung the grenade. It landed at her feet just as the Decker arrived, and both women collapsed as the stun grenade went off. Ljubica knew she had to be the first one to get up, and started to will her body to move.

Gunshots rang out, echoing in the very silent warehouse. Ljubica looked up to see Johnny stride over to the Decker, firing three more times into her body with his NR4 sidearm.

"You okay?" he asked, offering a hand to help her up.

Ljubica waved him off. Show no weakness. She almost even made it to her feet, too, but then stumbled and fell against a trailer, clinging to it and then falling to her knees again. "Shit."

"Whoah, easy there, Boss," Johnny admonished. "Let me help you, I won't tell anyone. Promise."

Ljubica managed a faint smirk. "Okay. But tell anyone and I feed you to a bear."

"Deal," he replied, offering his hand again. This time the Boss took it and let herself be helped to her feet.

Ljubica bit her lip, against the pain and the butterflies invading her stomach. She felt her cheeks color, the warmth as delicate as the pink of her cheeks, and the faintest of sighs escaped her lips. Then she felt the blood running down her face, the ache of her battered body, and the sting of her many cuts. She quickly forgot anything she might have been feeling.

"Okay?" he asked.

Ljubica nodded. "Let's go."

The pair slowly made their way through the maze of boxes and crates. Ljubica tripped over her feet, but Johnny managed to keep her from falling, wrapping an arm around her. The leader of the Saints felt herself flush again, and hated it. Her heart was racing, a feeling she normally loved, but she couldn't afford to let herself fall in love with Johnny. All the same, she didn't push herself away from him. He smelled like sweat and some kind of spicy aftershave, but beneath that was a distinct smell of _Johnny_ that she suddenly found intoxicating. It was not until they neared the exit that she finally pushed herself away from him.

"Thank you, Johnny," she said quietly.

"Any time, Boss," he said casually.

Ljubica looked down at herself, suddenly self conscious. Her jacket was ruined, the tank top was shredded into ragged purple strips, her pants were ripped and torn everywhere, and she was covered in blood. Her favorite pair of boots were spattered with drying blood, and the laces were trashed, too.

"I look like shit," she quipped. "Like something the... uh, cat dragged in?" She gingerly felt for her eyebrow ring over her left eye, and winced. It was gone again, ripped out at some point, and it hurt. "That explains most of the blood on my face."

"You look like the Boss to me," Johnny offered, grinning. "You ain't you unless you're covered in blood."

Ljubica smirked. "Let us be getting out of here before more Deckers show up."

#

The ride over to Kinzie's warehouse was uneventful. Ljubica wove her X2 in an out of traffic, laughing gleefully whenever she narrowly avoided becoming a messy spot on the road surface. Johnny clung to her middle, and she discovered she rather enjoyed feeling his arms around her.

_I need to take the Phantom more often_, she thought with a sly smile, then chastised herself. _Do not be stupid. Johnny is your friend and treats every woman since Aisha like a cheap toy to be used and thrown away._ Now she frowned, wrapping the throttle around and clicking the little button next to the horn. The large purple and black motorcycle surged ahead, and Johnny yelped as he hung on.

Ljubica's grin returned.

Pulling in to Kinzie's garage, Ljubica cut the ignition. She and Johnny made their way over to where the rest of the Saints' Lieutenants were gathered at Kinzie's workstation.

Shaundi turned at the sound of their footsteps. "Boss!" she called. "Wow, you look like shit."

"I'll change later," Ljubica said. "Kinzie, tell me we found something worth-..."

"What treachery is this!" Oleg bellowed. Everyone looked over at the hulking Saint who had dared interrupt the Boss. He was glaring at one of Kinzie's monitors and clenching his fists.

Kinzie's screensaver had come on, depicting Oleg as he was in his bondage to the Syndicate, and then it zoomed it on his groin. Everyone's head turned to look at the redhead.

"I... Oleg, it's... It's just..." she stammered nervously, blushing furiously.

"Silence! There are no excuses. I will never go back to that!" he raged.

"Comrade, you should leave," Ljubica said, her dark tone strongly hinting it was not a request. "Go cool off."

"Et tu?" he asked. "You would take her side in this?" His tone was accusatory, but he had already taken his rage and stuffed it away somewhere.

"There is only one side in this argument," she growled. "Mine. Now, get the fuck out of here. We will be talking of this later, I will deal with it."

Oleg looked defiant, but nodded once and walked away. He smashed a computer monitor on his way out.

Ljubica turned her glower to the cowering hacker. "You and I will be speaking of this, too, _mousey one_. Now, what the fuck did we get from the Deckers."

"Miller's location changes daily, but now I have the key to pinpoint where he will be."

Ljubica nodded. "Good. I will be going tonight."

"I'll do some digging and see where he's hiding," Kinzie offered. "But it probably won't be tonight."

"Fuck," Ljubica replied. "All right, everybody out. Kinzie, you are staying."

The other woman nodded. The rest of the Lieutenants filed out the door, and their vehicles were soon heard speeding away from the building.

Ljubica stared at Kinzie for a moment before speaking. "Lust, or love?"

"Wh-what?" the tech specialist stuttered, blushing.

"Do you have feelings for him, or do you just want to fuck him."

"I...well... you know..."

"Actually, I do not," Ljubica retorted. "Lust or love?"

"Both?" Kinzie asked hopefully.

Ljubica smirked. "Remove the screensaver, I won't save you from him again. And you owe him a _sincere_ apology."

Kinzie sighed. "I figured you of all people would understand."

The Boss frowned. "Do tell."

"Well, Pierce, he said-..."

"What the fuck did Pierce say," Ljubica growled. Her tone was instantly the one that said people would be dying. Soon.

"Uh, we were just talking one night online, you know, instant messaging."

"Go on," Ljubica pressed.

"He said you tried to invite him to Safeword if he ever wanted to try it-..."

"Mother fucker," Ljubica hissed, pounding the desk. "You are to never, ever repeat what you just said. Not fucking ever, do you get me Kinzie Kensington?"

Kinzie nodded earnestly.

"I asked if you fucking got me?" Ljubica snarled.

"Y-yeah, sure. Yes, ma'am, I won't breathe a word of it ever, I swear."

"Good girl," Ljubica replied, her mood suddenly lightened. "And smart, too. Find me Miller, I will calm down Oleg."

Kinzie nodded, and Ljubica, seemingly satisfied, headed for her motorcycle.

#

Ljubica stepped out of the elevator at the Saints' temporary headquarters above Safeword. There was a party going on, the music was loud and thumping and the required strippers were in abundance. Still wary after the party when the women had tried to kill them, she flicked the safety off on her Shepherd as she strode over to where Oleg and Pierce played chess despite the loud noise and low light.

"Oleg, my office," she ordered. "Now."

Ljubica didn't wait for him to follow, but when she turned to shut the door the big man was right behind her.

"Kinzie has removed the offensive screensaver, comrade," she stated. "And she will be apologizing to you. Good?"

Oleg paused for a moment as if to consider. "It will have to do. My apologies for losing my temper."

Ljubica smirked, but nodded. "Good. Now get out, and go see her tonight, comrade. I think she really does feel bad."

The towering Russian nodded, and closed the door behind him.

Ljubica sighed heavily, and stripped the tattered clothing from her body. The pants could probably be salvaged, but she stuffed it all in the trash chute anyway and went into the bathroom and began running a bath. The water ran hot almost instantly, and before long the incredibly luxurious tub was full. It dominated the center of the room, and was filled with jets, lights, and massagers. She sank into the water and turned on the jets, letting out another sigh as the rushing water massaged her aching body. The cuts across her back burned, but she didn't care, the rest felt too good. She sank deeper into the water, undoing her hair and leaving it to float about her head like a black halo.

The water was soon pink with the blood she'd rinsed off. Grumbling, Ljubica drained it and shivered as the tub began to fill again with steaming water.

Ljubica loved baths, though, showers were something for people in a hurry, and she was not in a hurry right now.

There was a sound behind her, and she whirled around.

"Johnny, get the fuck out of here right now!" she cried, but made no move to cover herself. She felt no shame at being nude, and she realized she didn't feel any fear at Johnny seeing her naked.

"I thought you could use some help with gettin' cleaned up," Johnny retorted, waggling a first aid kit at her. "I was covered in your blood from the ride home."

Ljubica frowned, glancing back at the wall mirror to see her back. Some of her cuts were still oozing blood, as well as the puncture wound from Angel, and she was getting covered in the stuff again. "Fuck."

"Come on, I'll fix ya up," Johnny urged, and sat on the side of the tub.

Ljubica turned the water off and gingerly got back into the tub, sinking down into the steaming water with a sigh.

"Just lay back and relax," Johnny told her. "Let me take care of you tonight, huh, Boss?"

Ljubica only nodded, closing her eyes. She felt his hands gently lap water over her hair. Her ears picked up his opening of her lilac-scented shampoo, and then his fingers were working it into her scalp. She sighed in contentment, lilac was one of her favorite scents. It always reminded her of Lin.

"This is the life," Ljubica said, nearly swooning. She'd never really let anyone pamper her before. "Opulence, I has it."

Johnny chuckled. "If anyone deserves it, it's you."

Ljubica felt him rinse the shampoo out, and then he massaged conditioner into her scalp. His fingers felt strong and certain, and after he rinsed it out, she lamented their disappearance.

"Gotta change the water and clean the wounds, now," Johnny said, and popped the drain plug.

Ljubica nodded, and then started shivering as the water level dropped.

Johnny caught himself leering as her body reacted to the cold, and turned his head to find the faucet and turn the hot water on again. He rummaged through the kit and pulled out the antibiotic cream, some bandages, and a spool of thread and curved needles.

Johnny gently patted her back dry, and smeared some cream along each cut. "I'm gonna start sewin' now."

Ljubica nodded hurriedly. "Yes."

The needle stung each time it went in, but it wasn't the worst pain Ljubica had ever felt by far. And as Johnny was experienced at stitching, it was over quickly.

Johnny turned the water off. "I can wash you," he said carefully. "Make sure the stitches don't get wet."

Ljubica nodded, unsure of exactly why, but she knew she wanted him to keep pampering her.

"I remember when we got those," Johnny said with a chuckle, motioning with the sponge towards the video game caricature of himself on her arm. He had a matching one of her on the opposite arm. "It was before you got blown up by fuckin' Julius."

Ljubica nodded.

"You're awfully quiet," Johnny said, soapy sponge trailing across her stomach.

"Just enjoying the attention," Ljubica answered. "It's nice being taken care of."

"You do so much for us, take so many risks," Johnny offered. "It's the least I can do."

Ljubica smiled. "It means a lot to me, Johnny, thank you."

Johnny shrugged. "I also get to see you naked, that's a perk."

"Asshole!" Ljubica laughed, splashing him with water.

"Hey, now!" Johnny yelled, laughing too as he grabbed her wrist.

Panic immediately tried to set in, but it was faint and easily manageable. Ljubica suddenly knew to the depth of her core that Johnny Gat would never hurt her like that. She also realized that she and Johnny were staring into each other's eyes, intensity building between them.

And then Johnny kissed her. There was nothing gentle about it. Ljubica closed her eyes, finding herself savoring it, the passion and intensity. When his tongue pushed against her lips, she growled and met it with her own, as if they were fighting instead. She grabbed the back of his hair and twisted her fingers into it, pulling him down closer, tilting his head back.

When Johnny pushed her wrist against the side of the tub, pinning it, fear and adrenaline surged, and she broke the kiss and head butt him.

"What the fuck!" Johnny cried, holding his nose.

Ljubica was panting, short and quick, and rolled out of the bath tub to put it between them. Then she realized what she was doing, and stood up. She _thought_ she was sure he'd never hurt her like that. Just like that, she wasn't sure anymore.

"Fuck, I'm sorry, Johnny..." she said quietly, looking away.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" he asked hotly.

Ljubica swallowed. "There are things you don't know, no one does, okay? Look, let's just forget about it."

"Fuck that," Johnny grumbled. "I've been watching you all these years, something's not right and I want to know what it is. I have a lot of ideas, and none of 'em are pleasant."

Ljubica sighed, but shook her head.

"Damn it!" Johnny spat. "Why won't you talk to me?"

"Ljubica," she whispered, and found she didn't regret it. It felt good to finally tell someone, and she knew she could trust Johnny Gat with any secret.

"Um, what?" Johnny asked. "I don't know Russian or whatever the fuck you're speakin' there."

"My name," Ljubica said softly, pulling on a plush, purple robe and tying off the belt. "It's Ljubica. And it's Serbian, my mother's middle name, though I am indeed Russian."

Johnny was quiet for several moments. "Boss, I... look, I'm sorry for getting mad, your past is your own, okay?"

Ljubica nodded. "I will be telling you some day, I promise, okay?"

"Only when you're ready," Johnny replied, and then added, "Does it mean somethin'? All you foreign girls, your name usually means some shit."

Ljubica laughed faintly. "Violet, like the color."

Johnny laughed. "No shit? I always knew you were born to the Saints!"

Ljubica marveled at how quickly they'd gone from passionate kiss, to fear, to awkward afterwards, and then on to business as usual between them.

"Sorry 'bout that kiss," Johnny said, rubbing the back of his head. "I guess I just got caught up in the moment, ya know? You brought me back from the dead, Boss, and takin' care of you and shit... yeah."

"Don't apologize," Ljubica told him. "Everything was fine until you tried to restrain me."

"Fuck, I didn't mean to-..."

"Johnny!" Ljubica scolded good-naturedly. "Stop! And call me Ljubica, or Ljuba when we're alone."

"Ljuba, I like that," he replied.

After a moment, Johnny's face brightened. "Hey, so, you know, we gonna add benefits to our friendship, now?"

Ljubica threw a brush at him. "You really know how to be ruining a moment, Johnny Gat!"

Johnny laughed, and Ljubica caught herself smiling.

#

Ljubica sat on the edge of Safeword's helipad, watching the sunrise and sipping hot tea. Below, patrons of the club were leaving, making their way to their cars or the limousines parked out front. She'd had one of her nightmares and woken up early, and unable to sleep, decided to enjoy something she rarely saw. She was fully dressed in her usual attire, with a black tank top. Her Mamba jacket was folded up next to her.

"Silly Pierce, the things I could have shown you," she murmured, taking another sip.

"Like what?" Johnny asked, sitting beside her. She hadn't heard him walk up.

"Wouldn't you like to know," she replied coyly.

"Why the fuck you think I asked?" Johnny retorted, chuckling. "You ain't over that pussy yet?"

Ljubica nodded. "I am. It was only lust."

"So?" he pried.

"Give it a rest, Johnny," Ljubica said with a sigh. She set her empty cup aside and pulled her knees up against her chest.

"Aw, don't go doin' all that, Ljuba," Johnny grumbled.

"Hmm?"

"Lookin' adorable," he replied.

Ljubica felt her cheeks color. "I am far from adorable."

"So you got a few scars on your face, so what?" Johnny shot back.

"They played what you would be calling 'connect the dots' on my face," Ljubica said quietly, and closed her eyes against the visions. She saw their hated faces, leering over her, and one of them brandished a combat knife. The old fear tried to return, but she refused to give in to it. Mostly.

"No shit?" he asked. "Fuckin' animals."

"Animals indeed," she replied.

"So you were tortured," he said, making it a statement.

Ljubica nodded. "A good way to put it."

"But not the only way."

Ljubica smirked, but before she could respond, her phone rang. "Kinzie, this is early even for you."

"_I've got Matt's location,_" the former FBI agent told her. "_But you need to go there now, he's moving later this morning and they changed the codes!_"

"We're on it," Ljubica replied, hanging up. "Come on, Johnny, we need to go get Matt Miller of the Deckers."

Ljubica ran over to her Saints Vulture, climbing in to the cockpit. It was the one that had crashed on Arapice Island, fully repaired at her insistence. Johnny was right behind her, taking the seat next to her as the long rotors spun up. She lifted off from the building as he was buckling his harness, and her phone notified her of a message. It was GPS coordinates, and she headed for them, sun rising at her back.

#

Ljubica and Johnny approached the small house from the rear. She'd landed two blocks away rather than blow the house to rubble, because she wanted to be absolutely sure she got the punk kid.

No guards were posted outside, and there were no Decker vehicles in the area. Matt was evidently relying completely on stealth to keep himself safe.

"Johnny, head to the front in case he tries to be escaping," Ljubica ordered, and he nodded, jogging around the side of the house and out of view.

Ljubica drew her pistol and kicked in the door. She rushed into the kitchen, looking around.

"Shit!" Miller shrieked, dropping his microwave breakfast. He wore a bright blue robe instead of his usual attire, but he did keep his blue-black lips. A small flat panel TV on the counter played an episode of Professor Genki's Super Ethical Reality Climax.

"Don't fucking be moving!" she cried, aiming her Shepherd squarely at his chest with a teacup grip. "You will not be buying your way out of this one, Matt!"

"Please," he said breathily, fear gripping him completely. "I can give you anything at all!"

"Steelport is what I wanted, Matt, and you fucking welched on our deal!"

"I-I'm sorry!" he stammered. "I'm just here to get my girlfriend out!"

Johnny appeared behind him, from the living room entrance to the kitchen, and hit him with his weapon. Matt fell into a heap.

"We should go," Johnny said quickly, picking the boy up and putting him on his shoulders.

Ljubica nodded, grinning. As the show blared from the television, she knew exactly how to deal with him this time.

#

Matt opened his eyes, and had a moment of panic when his vision was a tunnel. Then he realized he was looking through two holes, his head ached, and his mouth was duct taped closed.

"_Murder time, fun time!_" boomed from the arena's speakers.

"_Today's contestant is a newcomer, Zack, but he has a lot of potential._"

"_Oh, he sure does,_" Zack replied. "_Did I ever tell you the time my-…"_

_Fuck me, I'm actually _in_ one of Profession Genki's fucking death arenas! _Matt thought. He felt something hot and wet running down his leg, and realized he'd just wet himself. He found his arms tied to his sides, too, and he started hyperventilating. Frantic, he began running, no idea of where he was or how to get out.

"_What's wrong with that mascot, Zack? He's running around like a chicken with his head cut off._"

"_Someone didn't get his dose of psychotic-inducing drugs before the show,_" Bobby replied. "_But it looks like our contestant is entering the room, now._"

Pain bloomed in Matt's abdomen and chest, and he fell to his knees. It felt like he'd been hit with two bricks.

"_Our contestant is unstoppable it seems!_"

Matt Miller fell onto his side, breathing shallow. His last thought was wishing he'd ignored Jennifer's texts to come back to Steelport, and then everything went dark and the ex-leader of the Deckers knew no more.


	8. Chapter 8

_Author's Note: I should mention that the 5th scene down involves something some readers might find disturbing. It starts in italics, so if you don't particularly like certain dark, mature themes, you may want to skip it. I didn't go into exacting details, though, but enough. This is the it, though, the final chapter of Salvation. Thank you to everyone that has been reading, and offering encouragement through reviews and marking as Favorite, Alerts, all that stuff :)_

CHAPTER EIGHT

Cyrus Temple, Commander of the Special Tactical Anti-Gang unit, kneeled in the cold rain, placing a single red rose at a grave in Steelport's cemetery. His long, dark trench coat rippled in the wind.

"Those punks denied you a Veteran's burial, Kia," he said quietly. "And they took you away from me. Your heart was in the right place, I know it."

His phone rang, and he flipped it open with a sigh, standing up. "Yes, Senator?"

"_Public opinion is faltering for the Saints, and gang violence is still at record levels,_" Monica Hughes told him. After a moment, she sighed. "_After that ship in Salander, I'm authorizing the use of the Daedalus, bring the Saints down once and for all, Commander._"

Senator Hughes hung up, and Cyrus Temple allowed himself a small smile.

#

Johnny flipped through the channels, but couldn't find anything he wanted to watch. He felt a sudden weight on his shoulder, and glanced over.

Ljubica was fast asleep, and using him as a pillow.

"Nice to know you're fuckin' human after-all," he said with a chuckle, muting the TV. They were alone in the main living room, and when he put his arm around her, she snuggled against him.

Jane Valderamma appeared on-screen, and a banner scrolled along the bottom. It read, 'STAG Returns to Steelport.'

"Who the fuck is STAG?" Johnny asked out loud.

Ljubica stirred next to him, murmuring, "Some military assholes, we ran them out after a rogue in their ranks tried to blow up Magarac Island, with Shaundi, Viola, and Mayor Burt Reynolds."

"Wait... _the_ Burt Reynolds?" Johnny asked, excited.

Ljubica nodded against his shoulder. "Burt-fucking-Reynolds is the Mayor of Steelport. He's fucking awesome."

"Fuckin' awesome is right!" Johnny cried. "So why is he lettin' these STAG assholes back into the city?"

Ljubica sat up. "Wait, back in? Mother fucker!"

"This gonna be a problem?" Johnny asked.

"No, we just get to kill a lot of assholes with the most wonderful toys, now," Ljubica replied. "Though they blew up our last headquarters."

#

STAG N-Forcers filled the streets of Steelport once more, F-69 VTOLs patrolled the skies, and Cyrus Temple watched the redeployment from his high rise base of operations. He wore his heavy armor, and it felt good to be back in the saddle.

The door to his office opened. "Report," he ordered.

"All units deployed across the city, Commander," his new second told him with her French-Canadian accent. "They've already met with some resistance from the Saints, but nothing we can not handle."

She was about Kia's age, and the troops called her Ice Princess behind her back. Her hair was a pale blond, tied up in a severe bun, and her eyes were the faintest shade of blue possible. Her skin was nearly pure white.

"Thank you, Nathalie," he said. "Any news on their new hideout?"

"No, Sir," she replied. "We're still looking."

Commander Temple nodded. "What is the ETA on the Daedalus?"

"There was an unexpected malfunction with one of the propulsion engines," Nathalie said crisply. "They are making repairs underway."

"Very well, thank you," he replied. "Dismissed."

The door closed, and Cyrus continued staring out the window. "Where are you hiding you heartless bitch?"

#

"All right everyone, listen up," Ljubica announced, standing on box. She wore her leather riding pants, boots, and a black tank top. Her hair was up in a bun, held in place by two violet hair sticks. "STAG is back in town, and I want them gone."

Johnny stood by her side, and the rest of her lieutenants were nearby. The rest of the room was filled shoulder to shoulder with Saints.

"This crib should be considered unsafe," Ljubica went on. "Kinzie, find out when they plan to hit us here."

"On it," the hacker replied, already tapping away at her laptop.

"Manny, I want you to hit the streets with a crew and feed them false leads," Ljubica said, and he nodded, motioning for several Saints to follow him.

"Pierce, keep them from kidnapping Shaundi this time?"

A chuckle went around the room, and Shaundi glowered.

"The rest of you, go fuck STAG up in the streets. They need to know we aren't fucking around with them."

After everyone had left, Johnny tapped Ljubica on the shoulder. When she turned, he kissed her, fingertips gently cradling the back of her head.

Ljubica closed her eyes while kissing him back, and heard herself whimper softly as need coursed through her. Her heart was racing, breath quickened, and she pressed his free hand to the small of his back.

She pulled away the barest of inches. "My house, my rules," she breathed.

Johnny smirked, tickling the fingers of his free hand down her back, and while she was distracted, twisted his hand free and gently grabbed her hip. He began trailing kisses along her neck, and Ljubica felt something low in her body tighten as a soft moan escaped her lips.

As Ljubica tilted her head to the side, affording Johnny more access, teeth brushed against the supple flesh of her neck, and she tensed up. Memories came flooding back, remembered pain blossomed, and she pushed him roughly away.

"Shit, Ljuba, I didn't mean..."

Ljubica shook her head. "No, every time I think I am being ready, something happens, and memories return."

"It's okay," Johnny said. "And I mean that, all right?"

Ljubica nodded.

"Better me than Pierce, he'd just bitch about not getting his dick wet," Johnny said with a chuckle.

That made Ljubica laugh.

"But seriously, no pressure," Johnny told her.

"Johnny, I don't know if I can even give you anything worth waiting for," Ljubica said quietly.

"Boss, there ain't nothin' you can't do," Johnny shot back. "I'm done with these stupid hos looking for a night with Johnny Gat. I want you."

Ljubica smiled faintly. "I could dress you as a girl, maybe that would help."

"I'd make one ugly woman," Johnny retorted, laughing.

"Come to bed with me tonight," Ljubica said quickly.

"Ljuba, you freak out any time we kiss, or I touch you wrong," Johnny said somberly. "You sure that's a good idea?"

"I didn't say come fuck me tonight," she said wryly. "I said come to bed with me. When I fell asleep earlier, apparently I felt safe enough in my slumber to use you as a pillow."

"Fair enough," Johnny replied. "It's a date."

"Let's head to Burns Hill," she told him. "Not even Cyrus Temple would dare attack a nuclear facility."

#

_Ugly, twisted faces leered at her. Pain, shame, and fear were everything. Ljubica's heart pounded in her chest, and the bright light overhead kept the rest of the room in darkness, though she heard the screams and cries of the other girls._

_Pain twisted through her insides as each man violated her, some with his own body, others with some cruel tool devised for the purpose. It didn't matter, they all left behind the same feelings of hatred, anger, and humiliation in their wake._

_Ljubica cried into the dirty, soiled rag she was gagged with. She pulled at her bonds, but they were too tight, cutting into her skin. While the rest of it was going on, other men poked her with knives, pinched her flesh with pliers, or applied other manners of cruelty._

_Distantly, Ljubica knew this was a nightmare, and that distant part of her mind hated it for coming tonight. But the rest of her was transported back in time, and try as she might, there was no waking herself up out of this hell._

_Suddenly she was free, and though she knew the outcome, Ljubica ran anyway. She ran and ran, knocking a man aside in her flight to freedom. And then arms wrapped around her, and she was trapped again. She struggled, felt someone's face crumpled under her foot, but they forced her to the ground, pushed her down, and the horror was beginning all over again._

Ljubica woke violently, jerking awake, and struggling and kicking frantically. Johnny immediately let her go, and she rolled out of bed, taking the blanket with her to cover up.

"Holding me is bad," Ljubica said, panting slightly.

"I did it in my sleep," Johnny replied. "Sorry."

Ljubica nodded.

"Is it like that every night?" he asked.

"It used to be," she admitted. "For a long time, but usually it's no more than a few times a week, sometimes several times if it's bad."

"Fuck."

Ljubica smirked. "You're telling me nothing new. I know your arm was around me on the couch, and I was okay, then."

"You weren't havin' the worst nightmare I've ever seen from the outside then, either," Johnny retorted. "You were screamin' in Russian or some shit. Nyet, nyet, over and and over."

Ljubica sat on the edge of the bed. "I was saying 'no,' Johnny."

"Look, I can go sleep on the floor, or couch, or somethin'" Johnny told her, touching her shoulder. She didn't flinch.

"I won't be sleeping anymore tonight," Ljubica said.

"It's only two in the morning, Ljuba," Johnny said.

Ljubica nodded. "I know. But trust me, I won't be able to fall asleep again."

Johnny didn't like it, but kept his mouth shut.

"I will go elsewhere so that you can be sleeping again," Ljubica said, and started to get up.

"I'd rather you stayed," Johnny said. "Tell me about it?"

Ljubica closed her eyes, but nodded. "You will be the only person alive that knows. Not even Kinzie knows this."

Johnny sat up in bed, attention suddenly focused on her.

"When the great USSR fell, my family escaped to what was then Yugoslavia to be living with family there," Ljubica began quietly. "Naturally, we found ourselves trapped in the civil wars that embroiled the area around the same time."

"That's... that really sucks," Johnny told her.

Ljubica nodded. "A cousin of mine was killed in the fighting, and his brother Niko and I sought to avenge him."

"No wonder you're such a bad ass, if you fought in a war while just a kid."

Ljubica smiled mirthlessly. "Cousin Niko and I both discovered just how depraved humanity can be in that war, Johnny." She didn't want to go on, but wanted Johnny to know, and so she did.

"We were separated, Niko and I, and there were reports of his unit's decimation. I was captured by the enemy."

"Shit," was all Johnny said in response.

"I was taken to a camp," Ljubica went on, hearing voices as her demons tried again to take hold, to take her back to that place all those years ago. "The men were like animals."

Johnny's eyes widened. "Fuck, no Ljuba, you couldn't have been more than-..."

"I was a girl of thirteen," Ljubica admitted, barely audibly, but the room was so silent it sounded painfully loud. "The atrocities from both sides of the conflict were great and horrible indeed. I was in a camp for weeks, months, living in terror and unthinkable squalor. I don't even fucking know long, and it happened every day, many times, and frequently many men..."

"Ljuba..."

Ljubica shook her head. "It was horrible, disgusting... My shame and self-loathing knew no bounds."

"Fuck, months?" Johnny asked, angry. "How did you survive?"

Ljubica nodded, old feelings of shame and rage swirling through her. "I eventually escaped and killed them. All of them. I spent a lot of time pissed off at the world, and hating myself. I finally tried to kill myself once, after considering it many times. Cousin Niko kept me from doing it, and for many years later I took risks simply because I didn't care if I lived or died. My aunt and uncle sold everything so I could come live in this country, away from all that."

Johnny nodded. "No one should have to suffer like that."

Ljubica chuckled. "Pierce was the first man I've tried to be with since then."

"Damn," Johnny said.

"I know you're not them," Ljubica said gently, closing her eyes against the visions, but they were behind her eyelids, too. "My aunt told me to lay with a man who would be gentle, but I never could do it. I still haven't. Part of me wonders if I would have hurt Pierce, badly, if he had agreed to go to Safeword."

"No offense, but I ain't ever going there with you," Johnny said with a chuckle.

Ljubica released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "So, now you are knowing why."

"Thank you," Johnny told her. "I mean that. Why haven't you talked to anyone? Like a doctor or some shit."

"There was no one for us to be talking to," Ljubica told him. "It was war and things were ugly. All sides were pointing at the other, claiming they were the ones to be starting it, but every side was committing horrible atrocities in those conflicts."

"I definitely ain't gettin' back to sleep after that," Johnny admitted. "This explains why our hos are treated so well."

"Im sorry," Ljubica replied. "And yes, it is."

"Quit apologizing, that ain't like you," Johnny shot back. "And I'm glad you told me, I want to try and understand, ya know?"

Ljubica smiled softly. While everyone wanted to know about her, it was always for selfish reasons. This was the first time it seemed like it was about genuine concern.

"I forgot to set the DVR to record Nyte Blayde," she admitted. "But I have _Bobby and Amber_ on DVD."

"You and that fuckin' show," Johnny grumbled. "But you got yourself another date."

#

Ljubica picked up her phone as it rang. "Go Kinzie."

"_They aren't planning to attack us at any one point,_" the hacker told her. "_I'm still looking for their plan, but that's not it_."

"Keep me informed," Ljubica told her and hung up. Turning to Johnny, she said, "Let's go to the Broken Shillelagh and see if any off duty STAG assholes are flapping their gums."

#

Ljubica and Johnny sat at the bar. She wore her new Mamba jacket unzipped over a purple tank top, and Johnny was just in jeans and a black t-shirt. They were trying to be somewhat inconspicuous.

"Seems like this is not where they are hanging out," Ljubica muttered, taking a sip from her beer.

"Can't win 'em all," Johnny shot back. "At least the beer is cheap." He threw a dart and hit the bullseye.

It seemed the very air around them started to vibrate, a deep thrum felt more than heard. The building itself began to shake, and patrons started screaming as they rushed for the exit. Ljubica and Johnny pushed their way out, and stared at the sky in disbelief.

A massive flying fortress hovered over the city. VTOLs launched from it's decks, and heavy cannons fired at the city below. Bombs started falling, and the aircraft began launching missiles into any building they felt like.

"The fuck!" Ljubica shouted over the noise.

"I guess if they blow up every fuckin' buildin' we're bound to be in one of them," Johnny shouted back.

"Fuck that!" Ljubica shot back. "We're breaking their little toy!"

Ljubica's phone rang. She pulled it out, and saw that it was Pierce.

"_Boss, you better find a helicopter. Taking that thing out is all on you,_" he told her.

Ljubica hung up, placing her headset on her ear in case she got a call on the road. "Come on, Johnny."

The pair rushed to her Phantom and hopped on. Ljubica thumbed the ignition and wrapped the throttle around as soon as it purred to life, the front end rising in a wheelie before setting down hard. She clicked up through the gears, racing through the streets towards the old headquarters, and Johnny held on for dear life. A bomb exploded behind them.

Ljubica's phone rang again, and she hit the answer button on the headset. It was Oleg this time.

"_I'm trying to get people to shelter,_" he told her. "_But it's chaos down here._"

As soon as that call ended, Kinzie was calling her. Ljubica leaned her motorcycle as far over as it would go, screaming around a corner.

"_I can't get into any of the systems on that airship,_" Kinzie told her. "_I'll keep trying, but no promises._"

Ljubica thumbed the nitrous control, and her X2 surged forward with a vengeance. She wove in an out of wrecked cars, and twice a bomb exploded nearby, the shockwave sending them careening to the side. So far she managed to keep her motorcycle wheels-down, but the number of cars she had to avoid was growing.

Finally, she saw the penthouse in the distance. The sidewalk looked clear, so she used the handicap access on a corner to ride up onto it, and wrapped the throttle around. As they neared the parking garage, she slowed just enough to not hit the wall as she turned down into it, and forgot to put the side stand down when she and Johnny got off her cycle. It crashed onto it's side as the elevator doors closed.

#

Ljubica took Johnny's hand and ran to the helipad. Without hesitating she climbed into her Saints Vulture, flicking switches and pushing buttons as Johnny closed the canopy behind them.

"I need your toughness today, baby," she cooed as the rotors began to pick up speed.

Ljubica lifted off the helipad and worked the controls, heading straight for STAGs massive flying fortress. A VTOL reared up before them as the pilot switched to hover mode, and Johnny was already firing at it with the gunship's powerful cannon. The STAG fighter exploded, falling from the sky.

"Nice shooting," Ljubica told him.

The Daedalus loomed before them. Saints in purple Tornados engaged STAG VTOLs in the skies around it, but the heavily armed fortress ignored them, seeming intent on wreaking havoc on the city below.

"Those turrets are a problem," Ljubica said, lining up with a battery just left of the Daedalus' nose. She launched a wave of rockets at them, and the Vulture vibrated as Johnny brought the cannon to bear on the battery to the right.

"Now, that should make things easier," Ljubica said when they were finished, adjusting the pitch of the rotors. The mighty gunship began to rise up over the Daedalus, and she placed a call to Kinzie.

"I'm not hurting it enough, Kinzie, we need to try something else."

"_Just be careful,_" Kinzie told her.

"This thing is a beast!" Johnny called.

"I have an idea," Ljubica said, flying over the hover carrier. "It's crazy, but I think it'll work."

"You had me at crazy!" Johnny retorted, opening up with the cannon on a Crusader tank that started to fire a laser beam at them.

As Ljubica searched for a place to set down, she felt her helicopter becoming slower and slower to respond. Not much, but it was adding up as battle damage slowly took it's toll.

"Hang in there, sweetie," she urged, stroking the console in front of her. "Just be giving mama a little more."

"There!" Johnny called, pointing to an open landing pad. He shot at another tank, turning it into a flaming hulk of scrap metal.

Ljubica eased the damaged gunship down onto the pad, patting the controls and leaving the rotors spinning. "Good girl."

Ljubica and Johnny jumped down out of the canopy, and were immediately under fire from STAG soldiers' laser rifles. Ljubica jerked her Shepherd free of it's holster and jerked the slide. Johnny was laughing beside her, Tek-Z rattling off burst after burst into their enemy. The incendiary bullets lit them on fire, and the gleam in his eye brought a smile to her face.

Ljubica saw her first target. A rack of large bombs beckoned thirty yards away. "Johnny!" she called, and that was all she had to say.

Johnny popped a fresh magazine into his weapon and started his killing again. Ljubica worked her way towards the bombs, using the structure of the carrier for cover when she could.

As she set the first bomb, Ljubica shook her head. "It'll take a lot more than this."

"Right on," Johnny retorted, finally catching up to her.

Ljubica spotted another rack of bombs, but it was on the other side of the flight deck, and across a large expanse of empty air.

The pair sprinted back to the Vulture, and Ljubica vaulted into the cockpit. Quickly working the controls, she flew across the gap, wincing as the attack chopper took more damage. The stubborn helicopter still managed to shrug it off, and the Saints' leader was able to set it down on another empty pad. This one was much closer to the bombs.

"Let's go," Ljubica said, hopping down out of the cockpit. Johnny was close behind, loading a full magazine and sliding the action of his SMG.

Johnny fired on the few STAG actually near them before his feet even hit the ground. "I love these new bullets!"

Ljubica smiled, and shot a STAG commando in the throat when he appeared from behind a crate. He fell to the ground, writhing and gurgling. Rolling her eyes, she planted the second bomb. "At least one more," she mused out loud.

Ljubica and Johnny dashed back to the Vulture, and again took to the air, the tail control sluggish. "Come on, sweetie, hang in there for me!"

As Ljubica lifted higher, looking for another juicy target, the sheer size and power of the Daedalus became apparent.

"Holy fucking shit!" she breathed, and the raw lust in her voice made Johnny look over at her.

"Did you just cum in your pants?" he asked crudely.

"_Your tax dollars at work,_" Kinzie told her before she could respond with something scathing.

"Money well spent," Ljubica replied, still sounding excited. "I could kiss Cyrus for bringing this to me, I almost hate to destroy it."

"_When this is over I'll steal the blueprints from the DOD,_" Kinzie replied. "_A few years, we can probably build our own._"

"Kinzie you are my favorite person!" Ljubica gushed. "Ever!"

"That mean I got competition?" Johnny asked, chuckling.

"Can you be giving me a death machine?" Ljubica asked in response, smirking. "Evidently Kinzie can, and she also is likeing hardcore gangster rap!"

"All I got is an eight inch cock, but you don't seem to want that," Johnny shot back.

"That's not fair," Ljubica began, but was interrupted by an alarm in the cockpit.

"RPGs!" Johnny shouted, but Ljubica was already working the controls, weaving her damaged gunship through the onslaught.

One grenade found a target, though, exploding against the belly of the aircraft. The blast rocked the Vulture violently, like the hand of an angry child with his toys, but the armor held. A plume of smoke erupted from the engine, and an alarm sounded, shrill and urgent. The display in front of Ljubica alternated between flashing '_DAMAGE ALERT_!' and '_CRITICAL DAMAGE!_' in Russian Cyrillic.

The STAG troops on the platform below began to reload.

Ljubica unleashed a barrage of rockets of her own down on them, and Johnny started cackling as he opened up with the cannon. Within seconds they were all dead, burnt and broken bodies being flung haphazardly in all directions. She set the nearly-spent helicopter down, and they ran over to a miraculously unscathed rack of bombs.

"Three is good, but four is better," Ljubica said to herself as she planted a third bomb.

"That's my girl," Johnny said with a grin.

An RPG exploded nearby, the force of the blast flinging them through the air as if they'd been backhanded by a petulant pimp. Ljubica saw how big of a drop she was over and sighed.

"Fuck," she said, falling through the air.

Ljubica landed hard, a cry escaping her as her right ankle was wrenched over, twisting badly. As her side hit, she felt a stabbing pain lance through her, and her head swam after crashing into the deck. She rolled for several feet before coming to a stop on her back.

Ljubica lay there for a few seconds, and then got up. She grit her teeth against the pain, blinking furiously to clear her vision.

"Ljuba!" Johnny cried, trying to help her. She shooed him away.

"Not now," she growled. She had one more bomb to place, and saw just where it needed to go. Limping badly, she made her way over to the rack of bombs and set the charge.

"Nothing could survive this blast," she said.

"_The people dying below are on _you_ and _your_ Saints,_" Cyrus Temple's voice said, broadcast from a loudspeaker. A black F-69 hovered into view over the deck of the Daedalus.

"You fired on the city, Cyrus," Ljubica shouted. "I came here to stop you!"

"_You just had to keep fighting your turf wars,_" Cyrus retorted. "_After burning that cargo ship to the keel, I didn't have much of a choice, did I?_"

Johnny fired a burst from his SMG at the VTOL's canopy, but seemed to do little damage.

"_You'll never get off the Daedalus alive!_" Cyrus shouted. "_You drove Kia to insanity and killed her, I'm putting you down!_"

"They left us plenty of weapons," Ljubica said, noticing an Annihilator and a minigun. "Nice."

A microwave laser beam streaked across the ground, leaving destruction in it's wake. Ljubica stumbled as she dove out of the way, pain flaring in her injured ankle. She braced herself on a crate for a moment, and then picked up the Annihilator. She placed it on her shoulder, taking aim.

"Minigun, Johnny," Ljubica ordered, and fired.

The RPG smashed into the tail of the F-69, but it didn't seem to take a lot of damage.

"_I've been a soldier longer than you've been alive,_" Temple said derisively. "_You can't defeat me._"

"Watch her," Johnny said smugly, turning his attention to the STAG soldiers that started showing up.

Ljubica heard the Minigun spool up and she let herself grin, loading another RPG into the weapon. As Cyrus wheeled around she fired again, scoring a hit on the left wing, but still the aircraft remained in flight.

"_This is temple. I need help on the deck._"

Ljubica's grin widened. She was hurting his precious VTOL after-all. She fired again, but the deck beneath her heaved violently, and the sudden weight on her ankle caused it to fail. She fell to her hands and knees, and the pain in her side bloomed. Her RPG sailed very wide.

"_Explosions on the deck!_" a voice called over the Daedalus' announcement speakers. "_I repeat, explosions on the deck!_"

"Right... o-on schedule," Ljubica managed. The pain in her side was intense, and her arms shook with the effort of keeping her from collapsing onto the cold steel of the deck.

"_I'm detecting systems failures all over that ship,_" Kinzie said in her ear, voice full of worry. She'd heard everything that had happened. "_Tell me you're getting out of there?_"

"Patience, Kinzie," Ljubica told her, finding the strength to get up, using the Annihilator as a makeshift cane. "I still have work to do."

Ljubica shifted her weight onto her left ankle, put the RPG launcher back on her shoulder, and scanned the skies for Cyrus.

"_All personnel to your escape craft!_" the voice announced from the fortress' speakers.

"_Abandon the Daedalus!_" Cyrus Temple ordered. "_I repeat, abandon the Daedalus!_"

"The Daedalus is dead, Cyrus!" Ljubica shouted. "Now it's your turn!"

Ljubica fired her last RPG, and it ripped through the tail of Cyrus' F-69, shredding it into scrap metal.

Cyrus let out a long, drawn out "No!" as his craft spun out of control. Rolling wing over wing, his aircraft slammed into the deck on it's back, sliding over the edge and falling out of sight.

Ljubica saluted. "Nice landing, Cyrus."

The Daedalus rocked again, and Ljubica dropped the Annihilator, falling against a crate. Johnny dropped the minigun and rushed over to her.

"You all right?" he asked.

Ljubica nodded. "And with time to spare," she said in response, quirking a wry smile.

As the stricken airship leaned to one side, Johnny and Ljubica looked around for a way off. They'd never make it to her Vulture in time.

"There!" she cried, pointing at an F-69 in a small hangar.

They hurried to the VTOL as fast as Ljubica could manage. Her limp was a little better, and she took the pilot's seat when they arrived.

The Daedalus heaved violently. Ljubica got the STAG fighter into a hover, and the flying fortress finally started coming apart. '_Startup sequence, initiated.'_ The computer's feminine voice said.

"Hold on!" she cried, slapping her hand down onto the button to convert into jet mode. The craft hung in the air for a moment as the transformation took place, and she rammed the throttle forward just as it finished. '_Jet mode, activated.' _The powerful turbines spooled up and left a trail of fire behind them as they raced away from dying carrier.

"Dates with you sure are excitin', Ljuba," Johnny quipped.

"Always," she shot back. There was an explosion behind them, and looking over her shoulder, the Daedalus was falling apart, huge pieces of it crashing to the city below. Buildings were on fire, partially collapsed, or razed to their foundations. She frowned at the sight.

"_Wreckage of the Daedalus just hit the Mayor's office,"_ Kinzie told her quietly. "_I'm sorry, I know how you felt about Mayor Reynolds. But there couldn't have been any survivors."_

Ljubica sighed. "Kinzie, round up every Saint we can find," she ordered. "We're going on a field trip."

#

Jane Valderamma stared at the cameras of Channel 6 News' main newsroom. Like everyone else, she was shocked by STAG's attack on the city, and their unlikely saviors.

"Even in a place that is no stranger to violence, today's assault on the city stands as the blackest time in Steelport's sordid history," she reported. "While the government has yet to comment on the attack, _we_ have a report."

Automatic gunfire rang out in the studio, and Ljubica strode into the room with her Lieutenants at her back.

"No one runs, no one gets shot, understand?" Ljubica announced, handing her Krukov to an aide. "Sorry."

She grabbed the headset mic of a nearby tech. "Kinzie, you in the booth?"

Kinzie leaned over a mic on the desk. "All set."

Ljubica moved to stand next to Jane, beckoning a makeup assistant over. The woman powdered her face, and then Ljubica waived her off.

Ljubica stared hard at the camera for a moment, and someone in a side room added 'Local Psychopath' to the banner TV viewers were seeing. "I got a message for Monica Hughes and her stooges," she began. "Dear _bitch_," she went on, motioning forward with her arms. "Steelport is under new management, and we don't answer to you. This is foreign soil, now."

After the briefest pause, she went on. "Come at my city again, and you'll go home in a _fucking box!_" she said, pointing angrily at the camera for emphasis. Glancing over at Valderamma, she added, "Back to you."

Jane looked scared, eyes going wide as she tried to smile for the cameras.

Ljubica walked off the stage, and Pierce handed her Krukov to her. "Not bad," he said. "You could be a weatherman or some shit." They headed for the exit.

"I may have laid it on a little thick," Ljubica replied.

"Well, you did just create a city-state," he retorted.

Ljubica chuckled. "Good point. Hey, that reminds me, this place is going to need a new mayor. How do you feel about public office?"

"Horrible idea," Pierce said, but his tone betrayed him. "I'm in."

"Then let's get to work," Ljubica said, opening the door to leave.

#

The old headquarters had finally been repaired, and to celebrate the penthouse's reopening as the Mayor's office and the victory over STAG, a party was being held. The overhead dance strobes flashed and spun, loud music pumped from the sound system, and both Saints and strippers were everywhere.

Ljubica leaned against Johnny, nursing a beer. The party was in full swing, and Shaundi had dragged Pierce onto the dance floor. More than one pair of envious eyes watched them, but hers was not one of them.

"I still can't believe he's the mayor," Johnny grumbled.

"Would you rather he be coming back to Stilwater with me?" Ljubica asked playfully.

"Fuck no," Johnny shot back, taking a long pull from his longneck.

Josh Birk sat down next to them, spreading out and taking up space. "So, Boss, changed your mind, yet?"

"No. You're coming to Stilwater with me, Birk," she told the actor. "Shaundi needs a break from you."

Josh cross his arms in a huff, but said nothing.

"You're lucky you ain't dead, Birk," Johnny said, pulling a beer from the tray of one of the roving stripper waitresses. "And you still might have an _unfortunate_ accident."

Josh edged away from them. Johnny blamed him, at least partially, for the mess with the being arrested and the Syndicate.

"Let's blow this popsicle stand," Johnny suggested. "I know somethin' we can do that's lots more fun."

"Where would you suggest we be heading, Mr. Gat?" Ljubica asked coyly. Her head was beginning to get fuzzy.

"Your room," he said bluntly.

Ljubica grinned, nodded, and left her beer behind as she wove her way through the ground, leading Johnny by the hand.

Ljubica closed the door behind them, and Johnny pulled her into a kiss. Passion crashed over them both, and she tried to devour him. With a growl, Ljubica grabbed both his wrists and walked them over to the bed.

"You sure about this?" he asked cautiously.

Ljubica nodded, eyes hungry. She tore his shirt off, marveling at the chiseled body beneath it. They kissed again, losing themselves in each other, and one by one articles of clothing were tossed into a pile. Her upper body told a tale of gunshots, knife wounds, and some burn scars for good measure.

Ljubica pushed Johnny onto the bed, straddling his waist and pushing his hands to the mattress by his wrists.

"You're absolutely sure?" Johnny asked. This was the furthest they'd ever gotten, and it was usually him on top with women, but for her, he'd do whatever she needed.

Ljubica nodded hurriedly, body flushed with her mounting passion.

"Just shut up and let me do this my way," she said, low and deep, hunger straining her voice.

Johnny grinned back at her. "Yes, ma'am."

#

Ljubica looked around her room. It was empty of all her personal belongings, though the bed and everything else would remain behind. She eyed the bed fondly, remembering the previous night's passion, and joy.

"Earth to Boss, time to go," Shaundi said, and Johnny laughed.

"Don't interrupt," Johnny told her. "She's rememberin' how good I was last night."

"You're an asshole, Johnny," Ljubica quipped, shouldering her duffel bag.

"Guilty," Johnny shot back.

Ljubica looked Shaundi in the eyes intently. "Take care of Pierce, okay?"

Shaundi nodded. "You know I will."

"I know I can count on you," Ljubica said in response. "Come on, Johnny."

"No airplanes, right?" he asked. "You said we were drivin', remember?"

Shaundi laughed. "You're scared of flying?"

"Fuck right I am," Johnny grumbled. "You die on a fuckin' airplane and tell me how _you_ feel about flyin'."

"Relax, we're taking my Blade," Ljubica told him. "It is, how you say, a comfort rig?"

Shaundi walked them to the elevator. "You take care of _him_ for me," she said, nudging Johnny in the arm.

Johnny put an arm around the glamorous Lieutenant. "You come visit when you can, all right?"

Shaundi nodded, and the elevator doors opened up. "Get out of here, you two, before you stay for another day."

Ljubica and Johnny rode to the parking garage in silence. As the doors opened again, her purple Blade was the only car left in the garage. The rest had been sent ahead to Stilwater, along with most of her things, and her all aircraft. Even her Vulture had been found on the streets of Steelport, still intact but heavily damaged. Manny was getting good at repairing helicopters, too.

Ljubica popped the trunk and set her bag inside.

"So, this is it," she said, sounding wistful. "Today we go home."

Johnny grinned. "Feels good, don't it?"

Ljubica sat in the driver's seat, taking a moment to smell the leather. She shut the door, and Johnny shut his. The Blade started a little hard, she hadn't driven it in awhile, but it ran smooth.

As Ljubica eased out of the parking garage, Johnny turned on the radio.

'_We've got a special treat for you today on KRhyme,' _the station's announcer stated. '_We're kickin' it old school all weekend long! Now we all know this next one…'_

A bass guitar slid down, falling into a groove. It was joined by a clean guitar on top, laid back and smooth. A woman started singing in the background.

'_Yeah… clear enough for ya? (Is that right),'_ the song started. _'Hahahaha. Yeah.'_

"Man," Johnny whined, reaching for the knob.

"Touch it and I will be keeping that hand as a souvenier," Ljubica growled in warning.

Johnny sat back, crossing his arms.

'_Why niggaz look mad (Is that right?) Y'all supposed to be happy I'm free! Y'all niggaz look like ya'll wanted me to stay in jail, hahah! Hoe bustaz.'_

Ljubica headed out onto the highway towards Stilwater, grinning. She loved this song.

'_Picture me rollin' in my 500 Benz, I got no love for these niggaz, there's no need to be friends…'_


End file.
